Through the Ups and Downs
by MeantToBe16
Summary: When sorrow and grief starts overwhelming you and your family or rather, what's left of them , the only people you can count on are your friends... For they'll always be with you... Through the Ups and Downs... Smitchie, Troyella, Nalex and many more!
1. Prologue

Her eyes strayed to her favourite picture above the fire place. A picture that portrayed two families as one. A picture that brought so many memories to her mind. A picture that reminded her of what she used to have.

A sad smile formed on her face as she looked at the frozen scene of two beautiful ladies who were sitting on a bench, laughing at the four children in front of them. Two of the four children couldn't have been more than five years old and they were probably chasing each other when the picture had been taken. The curly-haired young boy was sticking out his tongue at the young girl and she was looking very frustrated. Positioned behind the two kindergarteners were a boy and a girl. They looked like they were sneaking behind the two of the little ones. Cheeky grins were on both their faces as they were holding their hands out. On the left hand side of the picture stood two men and another curly-haired young boy. He couldn't have been more than eight years old. The two men were laughing over the barbeque pit as the young boy just stood beside them, admiring them and wondering what they were laughing about.

A sob escaped her mouth as she traced her fingers across every single person in the picture.

"I guess we're never going to be able to take another family photo like that one again, huh?" she asked softly, never meaning for anyone to hear her, as tears streamed down her face.

"I guess not," another voice whispered from behind her. She whipped around and smiled sadly at her best friend. He opened up his arms.

"I'm always here for you, Alex Russo," Nate Grey assured her. Alex collapsed into his arms and started sobbing as she let out every emotion she had been holding in.

**A/N: What do you think? Should I continue? **


	2. Chapter 1

"Troy, may I ask what you were doing outside the mansion picking fights with the other youngsters in town?" Principal Matsui asked, putting his glasses down. Troy Bolton grinned.

"Of course you may," he said.

"Of course I may what?'

"Of course you may ask me what I was doing outside the mansion picking fights with the other youngsters in town," Troy replied in a 'duh!' tone. The principal rolled his eyes, having been used to this attitude from the teenage boy in front of him.

"Troy, your sister wouldn't be too happy if she knows about you picking fights with the other kids in town. I remember being there when she told you that she would kill you and then bring you back to life so she could kill you again. As a principal, I know I'm not supposed to encourage threats, but your sister seems to be the only one you're afraid of," the principal said, smirking. Troy looked at him, confused.

"Pfft. I'm not afraid of Mitchie," he snorted. Principal Matsui smirked wider.

"When was I talking about Mitchie? I was talking about Taylor," he smiled smugly. Troy's eyes widened. Taylor McKessie _would_ kill him. How could he have forgotten her threats? She may not have been his real sister, but she was as good as one. Troy gulped and glared at the principal.

"She wouldn't kill me when she finds out what really happened," he snapped stubbornly at the principal.

"Don't take that tone with me, Troy Bolton," Principal Matsui said sternly making Troy feel like a naughty five-year-old boy.

"Sorry," Troy apologized quietly. The principal's stern face softened.

"Are you going to tell me?" he asked. Troy just remained quiet. Principal Matsui sighed. That boy had always been so stubborn.

"Well, then, I'm not going to ask any further questions but when you're ready, you can tell me. Until then, you have two weeks of detention with Ms. Darbus," the principal said, waiting for response. He got it.

"B-But Ms. Darbus doesn't like me!" Troy whined. Again, Principal Matsui smirked.

"So I've been told. You're free to go." With that, Troy Bolton left the office, scowling.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

There were many times when Troy Bolton wondered why Chad Danforth was his best friend. And this was definitely one the many times.

"Dude! Taylor's gonna kill you! And then she's gonna bri**–**"

"Bring me back to life and murder me again. I know, Chad," Troy rolled his eyes, getting very irritated by his best friend. Chad Danforth chuckled.

"That's my girl," he said proudly. Troy glared at him and went back to eating his burger with a grim expression on his face.

"Dude, cheer up. Dinner time's your favourite time of the day."

"Yeah, well, I can't really enjoy when I know your girlfriend is going to kill me now, can I, Chad?"

A few seconds later, Mitchie Torres, Troy's biological half-sister, slammed her books onto the table and sat down beside him. She grabbed his burger from him and gulped it down.

"Hey! Get your own one!" Troy exclaimed. Mitchie grinned sheepishly and gathered her books again before getting up.

"Sorry. I don't wanna be here when Taylor murders you," she said.

"Nice to know you have my back, sis," Troy said sarcastically. Mitchie laughed.

"And anyway, Principal Matsui wanted to talk to me about showing some new kids around."

"There's gonna be new kids?" Chad asked. Mitchie nodded.

"Well, not really kids. I don't know the full details yet. But anyway, Troy, good luck. You're gonna need it," she said before leaving the two best friends. Chad looked at his best friend.

"Aren't you supposed to be hiding now?" Chad asked. Troy shook his head.

"What's the point? She'll find me anyway," he answered miserably.

"True," Chad nodded. Looking at his watch, he counted down.

"5… 4… 3… 2… And she's here!"

"TROY BOLTON!" a girl's voice screamed. Troy let out a girly scream before diving under the table for protection. Chad burst out laughing and grabbed his shaking best friend and pulled him up. Troy let out a sigh of relief as he realized it was just Kelsi Nielson, another one of his best friends. With her were Ryan Evans and Zeke Baylor. They were all laughing at him.

"Kelsi, that was so not funny," Troy growled. Kelsi laughed and sat down beside him.

"Any last requests, Bolton?" Zeke asked jokingly. Troy glared at his 'friends'.

"It's nice to know you guys would give up your lives for me," he said sarcastically. Ryan patted his back sympathetically. Chad looked at his watch.

"5… 4… 3… 2… 1… She's here," Chad announced. Again, Troy, with all dignity he had left after his scream, hid under the table as quickly as he could. From under the table, he saw pink high heels shoes and sighed in relief. Only one person wore pink high heel shoes. Sharpay Evans. The Ice Queen. Daughter of the owner of the orphanage, twin sister of Ryan Evans and girlfriend of Zeke Baylor.

"Bolton? Why are you under the table?" she asked as she bent over so she was looking at him. Troy shrugged.

"Hiding," he stated. Sharpay looked confused.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to kill him and then bring him back to life so I can kill him again," a voice hissed. Troy gulped. Taylor McKessie had arrived.

Troy peeked at her from under the table and gulped again. A very red-faced Taylor was never a good thing.

"So, do you mind telling me why you were in a fight? And for goodness sake, get out of your stupid hiding place," Taylor commanded in a frighteningly calm voice. Troy did as he was told.

"He started it! He said something about you, Sharpay and Kelsi!" he defended himself. Taylor put her hands on her hips, silently telling him that he should elaborate or else. By now, everyone else had left except for Troy, Taylor and the rest of the gang, minus Mitchie. The other children and teenagers at the orphanage knew better than to eavesdrop on their conversation. It usually ended in food fights.

"He was talking cheaply of the three of you. I wasn't going to just stand there!"

"So, you were trying to defend us?" Sharpay asked. Troy nodded.

"Well, then. I'm glad he got into that fight," Sharpay said and went over to stand on Troy's left side. Taylor glared at her.

"Me too," Chad said, standing up, and stood beside his best friend's right side. Taylor glared at him harder.

"Me three," Zeke told her and stood beside his girlfriend. Ryan nodded and stood beside Chad.

"No one messes with our girls," he said and winked at Kelsi, who blushed. Everyone stared at her. She sighed and stood beside Taylor.

"Why, thank you, Kelsi," Taylor said pointedly.

"Guys, Jeremiah may have been talking cheaply about us but you all know that violence is not the answer," Kelsi said.

"Kelsi's right. And because of that, you, Troy Alexander Bolton, are going to help me clean my desk and you're going spend three weeks and two days with Ms. Darbus," Taylor said. Troy groaned.

"You can't do that!"

"You'll find that as a volunteer, I can."

"But Ms. Darbus doesn't like me!" he whined.

"You wanna make that four weeks, mister?" Taylor asked. With that, Troy shut up but glared at her nonetheless. He defended her and got punishment. Where was the justice in that? Taylor's angry face softened and she hugged him.

"Thank you. I appreciate it but you know that violence is not the answer," she said softly. Troy nodded stiffly and left the cafeteria, leaving Taylor to feel guilty while the rest of them went back to eating, knowing full well that everything would be better in a week.

**A/N: Review! You'll soon look into the lives of Shane, Jason, Nate, Gabriella and Alex!**


	3. Chapter 2

"Your parents and godparents were great people, Gabriella. I'm sorry for your loss."

"If you ever need anything, dear, don't hesitate to call me. I'll be here for you."

"Your father was a kind and selfless man who put others before himself and your mother was a caring woman with a big heart. They will be missed."

Gabriella Montez felt like screaming. If she heard another sort of comment about how her parents will be missed, she would blow. What did these people know about missing her parents? What did they know about her loss? What did they know about helping her?

Her parents and godparents didn't mean a single thing to the people here. Her parents and godparents had always helped them in their time of need. When her parents and godparents had needed help, where were they? When her parents and godparents were being burnt alive in their family restaurant, where were they? When her parents and godparents were crying for help, where were they?

They were standing outside the restaurant, waiting for the firemen to come. Nobody, not a single one of those cowards, had attempted to run in and save four of the most important people of her life. Instead, they held her and her sister back. They pinned her godparent's sons to the ground.

Gabriella felt a tap on her shoulders and she tensed and turned around. She relaxed when she came face to face with Jason Grey, her godparent's first son and the boy she considered her older brother.

"Go to the balcony. You need some air and you need to breathe. You look like you're going to explode," he chuckled humorlessly. She was about to protest but Jason just gave her a stern look and pointed to the staircase. She smiled gratefully at him and hugged him before rushing off to the balcony to get some air.

Gabriella stood at the balcony in Jason's room and breathed in a supply of fresh air. Jason was right. She did need to breathe. She sighed as she looked at the backyard and smiled sadly as memories of the fun she had with her parents and godparents came crashing into her mind.

"What are you doing here?" a voice she knew too well startled her out of her thoughts. There, at the doorway, stood her best friend since forever. Dressed in all black with a glass of water in his hands, Shane Grey looked far from ugly. But he also looked far from happy. The usual twinkle in his brown eyes was gone and the usual smile on his face was being replaced with a frown.

"Jason thought I needed some air," she replied simply and turned back to look at the backyard.

"Well, he was right. You looked like you were about to explode," Shane smiled sadly and offered her his glass of water. She shook her head.

"No thanks. And let me guess. He said the same thing to you?" she asked knowingly. Shane nodded and she shook her head.

"Typical Jason. Always putting others before himself."

"Typical Gabriella. Always too nice to give people a piece of her mind." Gabriella raised her eyebrow at her best friend.

"What?"

"Gabriella, these people here… They didn't know much about our parents and they never bothered to get to know them. They were only ever nice to our family when they needed a favor from us. That day, when the restaurant was burning and our parents were in there –"

"Shane, don't," she pleaded softly.

"They held us back. They didn't let us through. None of them wanted to save our parents and they stopped us from –"

"Shane, don't," she whimpered. Shane continued as though he never heard her.

"Saving them. They don't care, Gabriella. They say they do but they don't. And you know that but you're still so in control of your emotions. You know they don't give a damn about us or our parents and yet you –"

"STOP IT!" she yelled. For the first time since he started speaking, Shane noticed the tear tracks on the brunette's face. Suddenly guilty of what he had said, Shane opened his mouth to apologize but was cut off by his infuriated best friend.

"I _know_ they don't care about us. I _know_ they didn't give a damn about our parents and I _know _that they just let our parents die like that. But I also know that our parents would be disappointed if we blamed them for everything. Yes, I don't like them and yes, I am angry, but my parents and yours, for that matter, have raised me to believe that death is no one's fault. And I, with all the sanity that is left in me, am clinging on to that," she finally exploded. She looked at Shane's emotionless face and softened her tone.

"I know you're angry. But it's not at these people that you're angry at. Whether you want to admit it or not, you're angry at our parents for just leaving us like this. Even though you know they had no choice, you're angry at them because they never said goodbye," she said gently as she took his hand and held on to it.

"You've got every right to be angry at them. We all do."

Seeing tears welling up in his eyes, Gabriella wrapped her arms around the boy she considered her brother. Feeling another pair of arms wrapped around them, the two of them looked up and saw Jason smiling sadly at them with tears in his eyes. Together, they cried for the loss of their parents.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

_A few minutes earlier…_

"Jason?" Jason turned around at the sound of the timid voice.

"Yeah? Anything wrong Lexi?" he asked. Alex smiled softly at him. Only Jason could get away with calling her that.

"Nothing's wrong. I just think that you need to get some air too," she said. Jason smiled at her and shook his head.

"I'm fine here. Really," he added when Alex gave him on of her looks.

"Jason, you've been holding it all in since… well, you know. You need some air and you need to breathe. You look like you're going to explode," she said quite innocently. Jason narrowed his eyes playfully at her.

"Now why do those words sound familiar?" he asked. Alex giggled.

"I may have overheard you and Gabriella speaking," she smiled sheepishly. Jason chuckled and gave her a quick hug before letting go. He ruffled her hair affectionately before walking towards the stairs.

"_STOP IT!" _Jason froze. Only one person had that voice. He rushed up the stairs and stopped just at his room's doorway when he saw Gabriella perfectly safe but with a tensed Shane on his bed. He stood behind the doorway so that they wouldn't see him.

"_I __**know**__ they don't care about us. I __**know**__ they didn't give a damn about our parents and I __**know**__ that they just let our parents die like that. But I also know that our parents would be disappointed if we blamed them for everything. Yes, I don't like them and yes, I am angry, but my parents and yours, for that matter, have raised me to believe that death is no one's fault. And I, with all the sanity that is left in me, am clinging on to that." _

Jason winced. A frustrated Gabriella was never good but he knew this explosion was good for her. She had been so strong since they received the tragic news and now she was finally showing some vulnerability.

"_I know you're angry. But it's not at these people that you're angry at. Whether you want to admit it or not, you're angry at our parents for just leaving us like this. Even though you know they had no choice, you're angry at them because they never said goodbye."_

There was a pause as Jason watched Gabriella take Shane's hand and held on to it.

"_You've got every right to be angry at them. We all do."_

It was true. Every single thing she had said. Gabriella was rarely wrong and this was one of the many moments when she was right. He watched as Gabriella hugged her brother and he walked into the room and wrapped his arms around his brother and the girl he considered his sister. He smiled sadly as they looked up at him. Knowing that they were going to let their feelings out too, Jason hugged them tighter as he cried.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

Alexandra Russo needed to take Jason's advice and breathe. It was so suffocating in the living room. People were all dressed in black, some talking and some placing roses on the table where her parents and godparents pictures lay. Feeling her eyes well up at the sight of her parents' photos, she excused herself from the conversation she had been dragged into and raced out the door.

She sighed in relief as she felt so much better out of that crowded room. Feeling the need to sit down, she headed to the backyard to sit on the swing that Jason and Shane had built last year as her birthday present. Apparently, the two had forgotten her birthday and as a punishment, the two of them had to build the swing she had been meaning to fix. Hilariously enough, it had taken them two whole weeks to put it together.

Noticing that a certain curly-haired boy was sitting on her swing, Alex put her hands on her hips and walked over to stand directly in front of him.

"You're in my seat. Move over," she ordered him. Nate Grey grinned and moved a little to the left so that his best friend had some space to sit. Alex smiled at him widely and snuggled up to him.

"You needed to get out of there too, huh?" she asked as she snuggled closer to him. Nate nodded.

"I couldn't handle it. Those people… They were talking about our parents as if they knew them when the truth is they only bothered to get to know our family when they needed something from us. I feel like yelling at them but then I think about Mom and Dad and I know how disappointed they'd be with me if I really did shout at those bas –"

"Language."

"Sorry. I'm just angry," Nate sighed frustratedly as he buried his face into her hair. Alex hugged him tighter.

"You're not the only one."

**A/N: Review!**


	4. Chapter 3

"Taylor! Troy! You guys have got to help me! Sharpay's going to kill me!" Chad yelped as he made Taylor stand up so he could stand behind. Taylor rolled her eyes.

"What did you do this time, Chad?" Troy asked. Chad was about to answer but he was interrupted. By who, you may ask?

"CHAD DANFORTH!" Sharpay screamed as she walked over to him as fast as she could in her high heels. Chad screamed and ran towards the door as fast as he could.

"That's right you better run," she growled as she threw a pie at him. Instead of it hitting Chad, it had hit Ryan who had been walking towards Troy and Taylor. Chad stopped running and turned around to see a very red-faced Ryan.

"Did you just throw pie at me?" he asked threateningly. Sharpay inwardly shivered. Ryan was usually the patient type but when someone dirties his clothes and especially his hats, that someone better watch out. And right now, Sharpay Evans better watch out.

"I was aiming it at Chad," she explained to her brother. Ryan smiled and nodded at her before picking up a plate of spaghetti. He turned around and dumped the whole plate on Chad. Sharpay sniggered and walked over to her brother to high-five him. She did not get to, however, as a pie was thrown at her and she screamed. Chad pointed at Troy.

"I couldn't resist," Troy said smirking. Sharpay narrowed her eyes at him and picked up another pie and aimed it at him. Someone had beaten her to it as Troy was covered in pie before she had thrown the pie she was holding. She turned around to find herself facing her boyfriend.

"No one messes with my girlfriend and gets away with it," Zeke said. Kelsi and Taylor had their mouths open at what their friends were doing. Kelsi could have sworn that the temperature increased when Troy glared at Zeke. Sharpay grinned at her boyfriend.

"FOOD FIGHT!" Kelsi yelled. Everyone looked at her.

"What? It's going to start soon anyway," she said as she threw a pie at Taylor. And sure enough, it started soon after that.

**High School Musical – Through the Ups and Downs**

"So, since all of you started this mess, all of you are going to clean this mess. Capische?" Principal Matsui asked. Troy, Taylor, Chad, Zeke and Kelsi nodded as they started mopping. The principal sighed as he walked out the door. Once he was gone, Ryan and Sharpay came in to help them.

"We started it too," Ryan shrugged as he started scrubbing the floor. The others smiled at him and Sharpay appreciatively before going back to cleaning the cafeteria. About ten minutes of cleaning later, Mitchie ran into the cafeteria with a piece of paper in her hand and laughed at the sight.

"Another food fight? What did you do this time, Chad?" she asked, still laughing. Chad was about to answer but she interrupted him.

"Anyway, remember the new students who will be here? They're arriving in three days so I'm going to need all of your help. You guys are going to have to clean your rooms," she said. They all looked at her, confused. Mitchie rolled her eyes.

"The new kids are going to be sharing rooms with you," she said slowly as she looked the piece of paper in her hands. .

"What? There is no way I'm sharing my room with the new kids!" Troy exclaimed. Again, Mitchie rolled her eyes and began reading off the stuff on the paper.

"Too bad. You and Chad are going to be sharing a room with Jason Grey. He's eighteen years old and has two younger brothers, Shane and Nathaniel Grey. Get used to having him as a roommate because you're stuck with him whether you like it or not. Of course, you don't like it and think it's unfair, but hey, that's life, remember?" she asked, chuckling at her brother's annoyed expression.

"Zeke, you'll be sharing your room with Shane Grey. He's seventeen years old and has two brothers. One who is older than him and another who is younger. Jason Grey, Troy and Chad's new roommate, is his older brother. And this where you come in, Ryan," she said, turning to the blonde. Ryan raised his eyebrows at her.

"Well, we're kinda short of rooms and we still need room for the youngest one. So, I was wondering if, you know, you were willing to share your room?" she asked, pouting. Ryan tried to look away but it was too late. Of course, he minded sharing a room but how could he refuse her when she had given him the puppy dog eyes?

"Fine," he groaned. Mitchie squealed and hugged him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. Okay, so your new roommate will be Nathaniel Grey, younger brother of Jason and Shane. According to his profile, he likes playing the guitar and is into music so the two of you should get along," she said. Ryan smiled at her, happy he was helping her. She did look pretty stressed.

"Kelsi, you're going to have to share your room with Gabriella Montez. She's quite close to the Grey brothers. She's the same age as you and she writes music sometimes. She has a younger step-sister named Alex Russo who is my age and will be in my room. So, anyone got any questions?" she asked. Chad raised his hand and Mitchie pointed at him, amused.

"Chad."

"How come you're in charge?" he asked.

"Well, you know how everyone knows that I wanna stay here after I turn twenty-one and help out? Well, apparently, Principal Matsui got to know of it and he's given me my first task," she said happily and walked out the door.

"By the way Chad and Troy, you guys missed a spot," she said before running out of the cafeteria so her brothers would not be able to catch her.

**A/N: Review! Sorry it's a little short… it's more of a filler chapter…**


	5. Chapter 4

"That's the last of it," Alex said as she handed Nate a dried plate. Their last guest had left two hours ago. Not wanting the house to be quiet, the five teenagers had immediately started cleaning it. Shane and Gabriella had been in charged of mopping the floor, Jason had been in charge of tidying up the living room and Nate and Alex were left to do the dishes.

"You would think that people would actually be considerate enough to wash the plates that they use at a funeral," Nate grumbled. Alex chuckled and hit him on the head before heading out to find her sister. Nate narrowed his eyes at his best friend's retreating back and followed her. He tensed when he saw their family lawyer, Hanson, sitting on the couch with Jason opposite him.

"Nate, Alex. How you guys doing?" he asked as he awkwardly hugged each of them. Alex shrugged.

"I've been better."

"Of course you have. Now, do you think the two of you could get Shane and Gabriella here please? There's something we need to discuss," Hanson said. Alex and Nate nodded and got up to find their siblings. Within a few seconds, they were back.

"Hey, Hanson," Gabriella greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. Shane nodded at him.

"Okay, now that we're all here and seeing as how some of you don't like me," his eyes flitted across Nate and Shane, "we'll just get straight to the point. Your fathers' wills, since your mothers never saw the need to have one, and where you are to go seeing as you have no other family to go to."

"What does the will say?" Gabriella asked. Her father had never mentioned writing a will to her or her sister and by the looks on the Grey brothers' faces, their father hadn't told them about any will either. Hanson took out a piece of paper, put his glasses on and began reading it.

"Well, according to both of your fathers, the five of you are to stick together no matter what. None of you are allowed to be involved with your estranged families as you obviously already know why. Moving on, all –"

"Actually we don't. Our parents have never really told us why we have no relatives. And if you don't mind, Hanson, I would like you to explain to us. You're the only one we've got left," Jason said.

Hanson looked at the pleading faces on each of the teenager's face and felt his heart melting. These kids were good kids and they did not deserve this cruel trick of fate. His clients had been good people and they had raised their kids well. He sighed.

"I'm sorry. It's not my place to tell you. If you are meant to find out then you will. For now, let's get back to your fathers' wills, shall we?" he asked as he put his glasses on again, trying to ignore the disappointed look on all their faces, particularly on Alex. Hanson had always had a soft spot for her. She was the youngest, the one everyone was most protective over, including him. She considered him the third father figure in her life, after her father and her godfather, and he considered her as the daughter he never had.

Hanson cleared his throat and continued on as though he hadn't been interrupted.

"Now, the rights to this mansion shall be given to Jason when he turns 21. When Gabriella and Shane come of age, then the mansion shall be divided to the three of you and when Alex and Nate turn 21, then the mansion will be divided to the five of you. Until then, Mrs. Polder, the caretaker of this mansion, shall look after it. It is by no means, to be sold. According to your fathers, this place holds so many memories for all of you. And as for your –"

"But where do we live now? I mean, you just said that the caretaker would take care of this mansion so we obviously won't be here," Shane pointed out. Hanson looked at him disapprovingly for being interrupted yet again.

"I was just getting to that. The five of you shall be residing at the 'Breaking Free' orphanage. Over–"

"WHAT?!"

"An orphanage? No way!"

"Dad would never send us to an orphanage!"

"There has got to be a mistake!"

"Again, WHAT?!"

Hanson sighed at the shocked looks on each of their faces. He had expected it from them. Giving them a look to tell them he was not to be interrupted again, Hanson continued reading off the paper he had brought that held the plans for their futures.

"As I said before, the five of you are to stick together. You are one family. The 'Breaking Free' orphanage is owned by Charlotte and Derek Evans. Your parents were all high school classmates with them so they know that you're in good hands. According to the will, none of you are to be into foster care and we will honor your father's wills. That's all for now," Hanson finished off.

Hanson sighed as he saw the looks of hatred on Shane's and Nate's face. It was not unknown that the two Grey brothers disliked him. Ever since Hanson had almost drowned Jason in the swimming pool when he was ten – it had been an accident, of course – Shane and Nate had never forgiven him for putting their older brother in danger. And although Shane was only nine and Nate was only seven at that time, they had kept a grudge against their family lawyer ever since. That was how their family worked, each any everyone of them were protective over one another and if you get into any of their bad books, it'll be hard (almost impossible) to get into their good books again.

The family lawyer then looked at Jason, the young man who was now in charge of his siblings. Jason was the oldest, the one everyone looked up to and he had a lot to live up to. Knowing Jason, Hanson knew he was going to go overboard and be a little more protective of his brothers and 'sisters' but he wouldn't have it any other way. He knew that the others were fine under Jason's care. They all trusted the oldest Grey brother and they loved him. They respected him and Hanson knew that this whole ordeal would just bring the five teenagers closer together. Ironically, Jason had been the first to forgive him for putting his life in danger.

Hanson shifted his gaze to Gabriella and felt his heart melting. Out of the five teenagers, Gabriella had probably had the hardest life. Her mother and her had been abused by her biological father when she was four and it had continued on like that until she was eight. Hanson knew Gabriella would always be thankful to Jerry Russo for getting her away from her abusive father. After Marie, Gabriella's mother, had divorced Carlos Montez, Jerry had welcomed them into his family. Gabriella considered Jerry her real father and she loved him. This was going to be hard for her. Heck, it was going to be hard for all of them.

Finally, he turned to look at Alex so he could study her facial expressions. Being the youngest one in the family, the others – including Hanson himself – had always been more protective of her than of anyone else. There had been times when Alex had came home crying because of a guy. Well, let's just say that the boy was crying too when the Grey brothers and Gabriella were done. Also, she may not have been Marie's biological daughter but the two of them were so alike you wouldn't know they weren't blood related. Like Marie, Alex was kind hearted and out-going. She was a young lady filled with innocence and there was a flare about her. It broke Hanson's heart that she had lost her parents at such a young age.

Hanson cleared his throat.

"Umm… Do you guys have any questions?" he asked, looking at the five teenagers. Shane raised his hand. Hanson jerked his head towards the 16 soon to be 17-year-old.

"I do. Do you think we're STUPID?"

"Shane!" Jason shrieked.

"You expect us to believe that our parents would just leave us in an orphanage where we know no one?"

"Like I said, Charlotte and Derek Evans were your parents' high school friends and –"

"And what?"

"And your parents know that you are in safe hands. Do you seriously think your parents would just leave you without knowing you were taken care of?" Hanson demanded angrily.

"But why an orphanage? Why not a relative?" Shane retorted.

"I am not the one who set the will, Shane Grey! Your father did! And I am sure that he and Jerry had their reasons. Now, if they were alive, I am sure they would be disappointed in you for losing your temper like this. You're venting out your anger on everyone when nobody deserves it! I am sick and tired of your attitude," Hanson finished off, tired looking angrily at the middle brother. Shane let out a breath of frustration and walked directly in front of Hanson.

"Fuck you," he hissed before running up to his room, leaving everyone in an awkward silence.

**A/N: Sorry it's a little short. The next one might be longer. Please review!**


	6. Chapter 5

"So, is everything ready?" Mitchie asked as she entered her brother's and Chad's room. She groaned in frustration as she saw that the room was in the exact same state it was in since she had left three hours ago. A mess. There were pizza boxes on the ground, dirty laundry all on the floor and Mitchie was sure she didn't want to know what was under the bed.

"I don't get it. They're coming in three days! Why can't we just clean up tomorrow?" Chad whined. Melinda and Troy rolled their eyes.

"Because I want everything to be perfect. Look, this is my first assignment and I'd really appreciate it if you guys cooperate. Please," she pleaded with them. Troy hugged his sister.

"You're doing a great job, Mitch. You just need to relax. I'm sure that Principal Matsui will be impressed with your work," he comforted her. Mitchie smiled at him thankfully.

"Thanks."

"So, how are the rest settling in?"

"Zeke and Jason have cleaned their room. I know, I was surprised too. They were the first ones and it was spick and span. Ryan moaned and groaned a few times but he's finished cleaning his room too. Kelsi's excited to get another roommate and she's driving Taylor and Sharpay crazy with cleaning the room and making sure everything's perfect. Only the two of you haven't cleaned your room. C'mon, guys, please?" she begged them, showing them her puppy-dog eyes as she finished her last words.

Troy and Chad groaned.

"Alright. We'll clean it by tonight," Troy sighed. Mitchie breathed a sigh of relief and hugged him again.

"Thanks guys. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Yeah, you'd be lost without us," Chad said as he puffed his chest out proudly. Mitchie giggled while Troy looked at his best friend weirdly.

"Dude. You don't have anything to show. Stop pushing your chest out."

"And I thank god everyday I don't have that extra weight."

"Hello! Girl in the room! Save your dirty talk for when I'm not here!"

**Through the Ups and Downs**

Shane fingered the strings on his guitar gently as he let a few stray tears stream down his cheeks. How dare Hanson talk to him like that? What right did that jerk have to tell him his parents would have been disappointed in him? How dare he tell them that they belonged to an orphanage?

His eyes strayed to the picture of his family and the Russos on the night stand. It was the same picture in the living room that held so many memories. He let out a sob as he thought about his parents for the first time since he found out that they were gone.

Were they in a better place now? Were they happy? Were they watching over him? Were they really disappointed at him for acting like a spoilt brat? Were they thinking, "I raised him better than that!"? Was he ever going to see them again?

Unknowingly, he strummed his guitar to the same song he had sung when his best friend, Harrold, had died of cancer last year. This time, however, the pain was more unbearable, more terrible and the worst thing he had ever felt.

_Looking at a picture of you in my hands_

_Wondering if I'm ever gonna see you again_

_Without you I don't know how my life will be_

Unable to continue, he gave a cry of regret and clutched the guitar closer to his heart as a source of comfort. He felt the guitar being slipped gently as he felt the presence of another human being. The person slipped his arm around his shoulder and hugged him tighter. Immediately knowing who it was, Shane snuggled up to him.

Jason felt his heart breaking there and there as Shane cried harder. He looked up and saw his youngest brother standing at the entrance of the room. Nate smiled sadly, as if trying to keep his own tears at bay. Jason motioned for him to come over. Nate went over to the bed and took the guitar from Jason, continuing the song Shane was singing, not caring if his voice was breaking.

_But I believe_

_It's not goodbye_

_Cause I will remember you_

_And I will see you again_

_When I rise_

_Cause I know and I believe_

_I will see you in eternity_

He finished the last note of the verse and broke down crying. Shane broke away from Jason and hugged his little brother. With his left hand, he involved Jason in the hug. The Grey brothers cried for everything that night. The cried about the fact that they had lost their parents. That they had to live in an orphanage. And that they were all alone in the world with Gabriella and Alex.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

"Gabby?" Alex called out softly as she tiptoed into her sister's room later that night. Gabriella stirred in her sleep and sat up as she saw a frightened-looking Alex with the teddy bear she had given her when she was eight.

"Lexi? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Gabriella asked worriedly as she gestured for her sister to sit on her bed beside her. Alex snuggled up to her sister and hugged her teddy bear closer to her heart. Gabriella had given that teddy bear to her when she was eight and it was her most prized possession other than the locket her parents had given her the year before.

"I miss them," Alex whispered, close to tears. Knowing who her sister was referring to, Gabriella felt as if her heart was being squeezed tightly as she ordered herself to not cry in front of Alex.

"I know. I miss them too," Gabriella replied quietly and hugged Alex tighter.

"Gabby?"

"Yeah, sis?"

"Can you sing the song? The one that Mom and Dad used to sing to us when we were little?"

"I don't know, Lexi… Mom and Dad did it the best."

"And you do it second best. Please?"

Gabriella sighed as Alex looked close to tears again. She smiled uncertainly and began singing the song her parents always sang to comfort them.

_You walked with me _

_Footprints in the sand _

_And helped me understand _

_Where I'm going _

_You walked with me _

_When I was all alone _

_With so much unknown _

_Along the way _

_Then I heard you say _

_I promise you _

_I'm always there _

_When your heart is filled with sorrow _

_And despair _

_I'll carry you _

_When you need a friend _

_You'll find my footprints in the sand _

Not able to continue, Gabriella stopped as she tried to gain her composure. Seeing how hard it was for her sister to continue, Alex did the only think she could have thought of to comfort her sister. She continued the song.

_I see my life _

_Flash across the sky _

_So many times have I _

_Been so afraid _

_And just when I _

_Have thought I'd lost my way _

_You gave me strength to carry on _

_That's when I heard you say _

_(Chorus) _

_I promise you _

_I'm always there _

_When your heart is filled with sorrow _

_And despair _

_I'll carry you _

_When you need a friend _

_You'll find my footprints in the sand _

Gabriella joined in after gaining her composure. She smiled proudly at her sister as she sang with pride.

_When I'm weary _

_Well, I know you've been there _

_And I can feel you when you say _

_I promise you (you) _

_I'm always there _

_When your heart is filled with sadness (when your heart) _

_And despair (and despair) _

_I'll carry you _

_When you need a friend (need a friend) _

_You'll find my footprints in the sand _

_(I promise you) _

_(I'm always there) _

_When your heart is full of sadness (sadness) _

_And despair (And despair) _

_I'll carry you (I'll carry you) _

_When you need a friend _

_You'll find my footprints in the sand _

Together, the two sisters cried as if there was no tomorrow as they hugged on to each other, the only family they had left.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

The next day, to say that Mitchie was a nervous wreck was an understatement. For the first time, her hair was in a mess and there were bags under her eyes. She was doing all she could to make the new kids feel welcomed. Troy sighed as he watched her run inspect his room.

"Okay, so here's information on your new roommate. His name is Jason Grey. Here is his picture," she handed him a picture of a curly-haired brown eyed teenager and continued talking. "He's eighteen years old. Loves music and he plays the guitar, has two younger brothers and he is the god brother of Gabriella Montez and Alex Russo. Any questions?"

"We're going to be sharing our room with a fag?!" Chad shrieked. Mitchie rolled her eyes as Troy laughed at his best friend's expression.

"Just because a person enjoys music and plays the guitar, it doesn't mean he's gay, Chad," she smacked his head.

"Easy for you to say. You weren't the one Steve Prandan was attracted to last year."

Chad shivered at the memory of the homosexual who had had his eyes on the afro-haired teenager the year before. It had been the worst days of Chad's high school life. At the mention of Steve Prandan, Mitchie and Troy burst out laughing. It may have been the worst days of Chad's education life but it had definitely been the best of theirs.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

"Nate? Alex? Where are you guys?" Gabriella called through the house, hoping her younger siblings would hear her. It was the two hours before they had to leave and everything that they had wanted to take with them had been packed. As stated in the will, the family caretaker, Mrs. Polder, was keeping the house clean. She was to maintain it until Jason comes of age to receive the inheritance, including the house.

"They're on the roof," Shane answered as he leaned against his bedroom door for the last time and Jason stood beside his brother.

"You wanna check on them?" he asked. Gabriella nodded and looked pointedly at her best friend. Shane groaned before following Jason and Gabriella to Nate's room.

Nate's room was probably the most special room in the whole house. It had a balcony and if you knew how to climb, you could get to the roof. The five teenagers had found the route to climb to the roof a long time ago and that's where they always went to look when either Nate or Alex was upset.

"Hey, can we join you guys?" Gabriella asked gently as Nate and Alex looked down on them. They smiled and nodded at her, moving so that there would be space for the newcomers. Nate had his arm wrapped protectively around Alex's shoulder.

"So, what are you guys thinking about?" Jason asked the moment he had reached the roof, being the last one.

"In two hours, we're going to leave this house," Alex whispered quietly. Gabriella held her younger sister's hand and squeezed it.

"It doesn't matter as long as we're all together. Sure, we'll miss this neighborhood. I mean, this is where Jason got into his first fight and broke his nose only to run into this house screaming at the top of his lungs," Gabriella tried an attempt at humor, smirking at the guy she considered her older brother. Jason sighed while the others chuckled.

"In my defense, it hurt a lot!" Jason cried. Gabriella rolled her eyes while Shane burst out laughing. He definitely remembered that day well.

"I wouldn't be laughing, Mr. I-Can-Get-Any-Girl-I-Want. If I remember correctly, you were the one who told your first girlfriend her mother looked like a porn star and got slapped twice in this very backyard," she gestured towards the backyard.

Shane immediately stopped laughing and scowled at Gabriella while the others laughed. Gabriella smiled at him and ruffled his hair fondly.

"But hey, that's the past. Now's the present and we have a future to look forward to. Those are old memories we have of this place. It's time to create new ones," Gabriella said, always being the wise and optimistic one.

"Gabby's right. And like she said before, we're all together and that's all that matters. I mean, we're practically family. We love each other and we look out for one another. And that's how it's going to stay," Jason vowed, waiting for their response. Gabriella smiled at him gently. Nate and Shane nodded while Alex played with her locket.

"Do you think they're proud of us?" she asked so quietly that they had almost missed it. Jason and Gabriella tensed at her question while Nate hugged his best friend tighter. Shane smiled softly at her. He had always loved Alex as a younger sister.

"I think they are. I mean, we've done what they would have wanted us to do and look! We've not gotten into trouble once! That has got to be a record," he joked. Alex laughed while Gabriella and Jason eased up. Nate smiled appreciatively at Shane.

"And they'll be watching over us every single day so we're going to make them proud, right?" the curly-haired asked spiritedly before getting nods as response to his question.

Two hours later, they were all on the journey to the orphanage.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

"They're here! OMG! They're HERE!" Mitchie panicked as she rushed out of Kelsi's room to greet her new fellow housemates.

**A/N: Review!**


	7. Chapter 6

Ten minutes after Mitchie had not so graciously announced the arrival of the new students, the gang had gotten tired of waiting for their new roommates and had decided to go to the cafeteria for lunch. Well, everyone in the gang except for Kelsi and Mitchie, that is. The two of them were so excited to meet the new students that they were practically jumping in their seats.

"They'll be here any time from now!" Mitchie exclaimed excitedly as she snatched the burger her brother was about to eat and quickly gobbled it up, not noticing the glare her brother was sending towards her.

"Mitchie, slow down. You're gonna choke if you keep eating like that. And will you please relax? According to the schedule you were given – that I have read twelve times, I might add – they're probably unpacking their things in their rooms now. Principal Matsui says you don't have to do anything anymore because you've played your part. So, please, stop hyperventilating and calm down," Ryan ordered the petite brown-haired girl in front of him. Mitchie took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

Twelve minutes later, Mitchie had had enough of waiting and had decided to get herself a smoothie. The others just waved her off and continued eating, relieved that she was gone for they were starting to feel anxious themselves.

Barely three minutes after Mitchie had left to get her smoothie, five teenagers walked into the cafeteria with the same expression of being lost on their faces. Troy stared at the brunette he knew was Gabriella. Wow, if he thought she was pretty in the picture, she was even more beautiful in person. Her hair was curly at the loose ends but it was her eyes that stood out most. Instead of the happiness and carefree look in her eyes, all Troy Bolton saw in the newcomer was sorrow and grief. And he, Troy Bolton, had decided that he was going to change it. How, you may ask? He had no bloody idea.

Gabriella gulped as she felt the occupants in the cafeteria turn their heads to look at her and her family. She gripped Jason's hand tighter and shifted closer to him for comfort like she always did when she was nervous. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alex grip Nate's hand tighter. Shane looked at his best friends and brothers and rolled his eyes.

"I'm gonna get myself a smoothie. You guys go get a table," he nodded his head towards the direction of an empty table.

"I want a chocolate smoothie," Alex spoke up.

"Me too."

"I want a mango smoothie. What about you, Jase?"

"I'll have a chocolate smoothie," Jason told his brother. Again, Shane rolled his eyes, knowing he should have expected them to ask him to buy their drinks for them, and headed towards the counter while his family went to find a place to sit.

As he headed towards the counter, he noticed a brunette girl buying a smoothie and felt all the air rush out of his body. Dear god, she was beautiful. Her eyes were like dark orbs but they were beautiful and her hair swayed as she talked animatedly with the cashier. She laughed about something the cashier had said and Shane decided that it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't really paying attention to her and didn't notice that she had finished ordering and was about to turn. However, he was too close to her and she ended up bumping into him, hence, spilling all her smoothie on to him.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized as she tried wiping the milkshake off his clothes. Shane just smiled at her, glad of having contact with her.

"It's okay. I shouldn't have been too close. Sorry about that," he said. The girl grinned.

"That's okay. Hi, I'm Mitchie," she introduced herself and held out her hand for him to shake it. Shane gladly shook her hand.

"Mitchie? Is that short form for Michaela?" he asked. Mitchie grinned, impressed.

"Yeah. My real name's Michaela Torres but I think Michaela's too long," she told him. Shane grinned back at her before remembering he hadn't introduced himself.

"I'm Shane Grey and I'm new here. I'm supposed to be ordering smoothies for my family," he rubbed the back of his head as he recalled their orders and repeated them to the grim-looking girl behind the counter. Mitchie's eyes widened and she gasped. Shane turned back to her worriedly.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"You're Shane Grey! You're one of the new students, aren't you?"

Before Shane had time to respond, his smoothie orders were ready. He smiled at the grumpy counter girl before paying and wondered to himself how he was going to bring the smoothies back to his family, momentarily forgetting Mitchie for a moment. Mitchie held back a laugh at Shane's cute face and grabbed a tray.

"You know there's such a thing as a tray," she said slowly, as though talking to a five-year-old. Shane smiled sheepishly and took the tray from her.

"Hey, you wanna meet my family?" he asked, trying to be polite. Mitchie looked shocked at first but then smiled and nodded enthusiastically. Shane saw her shocked look at first and frowned. Why had she been so shocked?

"Can I ask you a question?" Shane was startled out of his thoughts as Mitchie spoke.

"Well, you already did but I guess you can ask another one," Shane joked. Mitchie rolled her eyes.

"Haha. You're hilarious," she spoke sarcastically. "Why are your family members looking at us with smiles on their faces?" She looked towards the table and Shane felt his cheeks turn hotter as Jason actually showed him a thumbs-up sign.

"They're just happy I made a new friend, I guess," he rolled his eyes, trying to shrug it off so Mitchie wouldn't know that he was embarrassed. At Mitchie's inquiring look, he decided to explain himself further. "Let's just say I'm not a sociable person."

"I remember. According to your profile, you only have two best friends from your previous home. Gabriella Montez and Alex Russo," Mitchie recalled, her head titled to the side as she tried remembering any other information. Just as she was about to ask Shane another question, she realized that they had reached his family's table. She immediately just shut her mouth and smiled shyly at them.

"Shane, you made a new friend. What a surprise," the younger girl of the group smiled cheekily. She had straight jet-black hair and a petite figure. Shane rolled his eyes at her and handed her the smoothie she had ordered. Before Shane had a chance to introduce his new friend, another group of people arrived at their table.

Mitchie gulped. Her brother did not look happy at all. Troy had his over-protective look on and so did Chad, Zeke and Ryan. The girls were smiling at her happily, silently telling her that they were going to have a long talk with her when they were alone.

"Hi. I'm Sharpay Evans. These are my friends. Taylor McKessie, Chad Danforth, Zeke Baylor, he's my boyfriend, actually, Ryan Evans, my brother and this is Troy Bolton and his half-sister, Mitchie Torres," she introduced them all cheerfully. Gabriella smiled politely at her.

"You must be the new kids," Troy said cooly as though he were talking to people who weren't worthy of his attention. The five people sitting down looked at him as though he had grown two heads.

"Kids?" Shane repeated, clearly insulted.

"Well, yeah. Then, what are you? Animals?" Troy snorted with an attitude.

"We prefer the term 'students'," Shane rolled his eyes, getting tired of Troy's attitude already. Deciding to stop any tension that was about to arouse between Shane and Troy, Jason cut in.

"I'm Jason Grey. These are my brothers, Shane and Nate. That's Alex Russo and beside her is her step-sister, Gabriella Montez. It's nice to meet you guys," he introduced them politely as he shook all their hands. Pretty soon, they all got talking.

As the others got talking, Troy observed the new members of the orphanage. Naturally, his eyes landed on Gabriella first. As he watched her speak with Sharpay, Kelsi and Taylor, he noticed that she liked to twist a few strands of hair around her index finger. And when she was asked a personal question that she didn't feel comfortable answering, she would edge closer to either one of the Grey brothers. Strangely, that little action caused Troy to feel a little tinge of jealousy.

Troy looked at his new roommate. Jason had curly hair and was the tallest in the group. He had his arm around Gabriella the whole time and that had made Troy narrow his eyes at him for a few seconds. Wow, he hadn't even got to know Gabriella and he was already feeling like that. He then looked at the only guy in the group who had straight hair. Shane Grey. Oh, Mitchie was definitely staying away from him. He then turned his attention to the younger curly-hared boy – Nate was it? – who had wrapped his arms protectively around the younger girl. She looked like a miniature Gabriella which was strange because Troy remembered that Mitchie had told him that they were step-sisters.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat and get to know you people but I have better things to do. I'm sorry," he didn't sound sorry at all. Gabriella gritted her teeth and stood up, having been tired of his attitude.

"What's your problem?" she snapped at him. Troy stared at her, surprised.

"What's yours?" he retorted.

"My problem is that you have been rude to me and my family since Sharpay came to introduce us. She's been nice and so have the others. Why can't you?" she growled.

"Well, I'm not a very nice person," he snapped. Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"I think that much is obvious. Seriously, Bolton, your head is so big it's a wonder you can fit it through that door," Gabriella smirked, knowing that there was no way he was going to be able to think of a good comeback. She had used that line on most arrogant guys she met.

"Yeah? Well, you… you…"

"Can't think of anything, now can you?" Gabriella smirked wider while the whole gang looked at Troy in shock. They would never admit it to Troy but they were impressed with Gabriella. No one had ever dared messed with Troy or outsmart him. Yep, Gabriella Montez was definitely going to be good friends with them. And if her family was anything like her, then they would fit in just as well too.

**A/N: Review!**


	8. Chapter 7

"Who does she think she is?" Troy fumed as he entered his room, slamming the door behind him. Chad looked up from the book he was reading and rolled his eyes before continuing reading his book. Jason stopped packing to listen to his new roommate's rant.

"I mean, doesn't she know who I am? How dare she talk to me like that?!" Troy exclaimed as he paced back and forth.

"Dude, if you don't stop pacing, you're going to burn a hole through the floor," Chad said calmly. Troy stopped pacing and looked at his best friend with an afro.

"Pacing? A hole through the floor? Dude, you have got to stop reading those books. You sound like," he paused for a dramatic effect and then continued, "Taylor." He ended the sentence with a shudder. Again, Chad rolled his eyes while Jason continued observing them, clearly amused. Remembering that he was upset, Troy continued on how Gabriella irritated him again.

"That _girl _doesn't know what I can do yet. I'll show her who she messed with," Troy smirked, an evil thought crossing his mind. Chad gulped. Oh boy, he had _the look_ on his face.

"That _girl _has a name and it's Gabriella. Take it from someone who has known Gabriella for her whole life and treats her like a younger sister, you don't wanna mess with Gabriella Montez and go too far because you'll have three very angry guys and one younger sister who cares about her sister more than anything in the world to answer to. It ain't gonna be pretty, dude," Jason warned him.

"What? You, your brothers and your sister-in-law gonna hurt me if I hurt her?" Troy taunted. This time, it was Jason's turn to smile.

"Only if things get too far, which rarely happens since Gabriella can take care of herself. And I think she can take care of herself from you. She's been through worse," Jason said simply and continued unpacking, not missing the alarmed and frightened looks on both Chad's and Troy's faces.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

"So, I heard you write your own music?" Ryan asked, trying to start a conversation with Nate. The younger teenager just nodded then took out his guitar and started strumming. Ryan inwardly groaned. That boy hadn't said a single word since he had arrived with his brothers, Gabriella and Alex.

"Can I hear one of the songs you're working on?" Ryan asked. Nate shrugged and handed Ryan a music sheet before opening his laptop. He opened his music file and the song started playing with the instruments needed. Nate began to sing.

_**I walked across a crowded street  
****A sea of eyes cut through me****and I saw you in the middle.****  
Your upset face, you wear it well****  
You camouflage the way you feel****When everything's a matter  
**_

_**We've all been down that road before****  
searching for that something more...****  
World's are spinning round****  
Theres no sign of slowing down  
so wont you take a breath, ****just take a breath.  
****People change, your promises are broken****  
Clouds can move and skies will be wide open  
Don't forget to take a breath.**_

_**We blink our eyes, life's rearranged.****  
To our surprise its still ok****  
Its the way things happen.****  
Summer comes and then it goes****  
Hold on tight, embrace for cold.  
and it's only for a moment.**_

_**We've all been down that road before****  
searching for that something more...****  
World's are spinning round****  
Theres no sign of slowing down  
so wont you take a breath, ****just take a breath.  
****People change, your promises are broken****  
Clouds can move and skies will be wide open  
Don't forget to take a breath.**_

_**Life isn't suffocating  
Air isn't overrated.**_

_**World's are spinning round**_

_**Theres no sign of slowing down**_

_**So wont you take a breath, just take a breath**_

_**We've all been down that road before****  
searching for that something more...****  
World's are spinning round****  
Theres no sign of slowing down  
so wont you take a breath, ****just take a breath.****  
**_

_**People change, your promises are broken****  
Clouds can move and skies will be wide open  
Don't forget to take a breath.**_

_**World's are spinning round (yeah)****  
Theres no sign of slowing down  
****So wont you...  
Don't forget to take a breath**_

"That's a nice song. The lyrics are inspirational and the music's just right," Ryan complimented his roommate. Nate smiled thankfully and put the guitar safely on the side of his cupboard.

"Who was it for?"

"Gabriella. There was this one point of time when she was so stressed over everything. Her studies, her jerk of a boyfriend, her family. She was letting every little thing get to her," Nate explained.

"It's very cool," Ryan said again. Nate nodded and continued unpacking. Feeling that Nate was going to go silent again, Ryan decided to talk about something that might get his attention. Or rather, someone.

"So, your friend, what's her name? Oh, yeah, Alex! She's quite pretty," Ryan smirked as he felt the sixteen-year-old freeze. He then glared at Ryan who chose not to look at him.

"I bet you like her," Ryan stated. Nate relaxed but a pink tinge appeared on his cheeks.

"She's a great friend," he said, pretending he didn't understand what Ryan was talking about even though he knew it pretty well. He had had this conversation with his parents, brothers, his godparents and Gabriella.

"You know I mean you like her as something more. Don't bother to deny it," Ryan said as he saw that the younger teenager was about to protest. "I've seen the same look on Chad's and Zeke's face when they're with Taylor and Sharpay respectively."

**Through the Ups and Downs**

"So, Gabriella. Tell us more about yourself," Sharpay said as she plopped herself on Kelsi's bed. She had decided to hang out in Kelsi's and now, Gabriella's, room to help Gabriella unpack. They had invited Taylor but Taylor apparently had boring volunteer stuff to do. Of course, the ones who were mainly unpacking were Gabriella and Kelsi.

"Well, what do you guys want to know?" Gabriella asked.

"When's your birthday?" Kelsi asked.

"14 December."

"Hobbies?"

"I like reading and writing. I was on the scholastic decathlon back at my old school."

"Do you have a thing for Troy Bolton?"

"Who?"

"Troy Bolton, you know, Mitchie's brother."

"You mean the rude guy in the cafeteria? Are you crazy? I feel sorry for Mitchie. The day I have the hots for that guy is the day I start singing."

"Whoa. So I assume you don't like singing?" Sharpay exclaimed, bewildered that anyone could hate music that badly. Gabriella nodded.

"Let's just say I had an embarrassing episode in third grade," Gabriella left it at that.

"Okay. Anyway, moving on, tell us something about your sister and the three boys you came with," Kelsi asked, feeling that Gabriella really didn't want to talk about her embarrassing experience. A huge smile spread on Gabriella's face as she started talking enthusiastically about her sister and the three boys she considered her brothers.

"Jason's like an older brother to me. He's always been there for me when I need him. Among the three, he's the most romantic one so girls love him. Shane's like my twin. He's the goofy one out of the three of them. He's usually the one fooling around and always making us laugh. He and Jason have always been so protective of me when it comes to dating guys. And no, there is nothing romantic going on between me and Shane. Nate is the cool one. He's like a younger brother I never had. He's always the neutral one when Shane and Jason fight. He never chooses a side. And he usually comes to my rescue when Shane and Jason had pissed me off because they scared a guy I like away. He's the quiet one but he has an amazing voice. Actually, all three of them are musically talented. Jason rocks at guitar, Nate plays the guitar and sings and Shane has an awesome voice."

"Wow, they could form a band."

"They were thinking about it and they actually let a record company listen to their music but they got turned down. Apparently, their songs wouldn't sell," Gabriella growled as a dark look crossed her face and her eyes narrowed. She remembered the day her favourite boys had gotten a call saying they weren't good enough. They had been so heart-broken and it took her and Alex two months to get them to start writing songs again.

"That's awful!" Kelsi exclaimed. Gabriella shrugged and sat down on her bed.

"Well, did I mention that Nate's in love with Alex?" she asked casually. Sharpay squealed.

"Aww… Those two would look so cute together!"

"They would, wouldn't they? It's too bad they're so oblivious," Gabriella rolled her eyes. Sharpay and Kelsi smirked.

"Well, Gabriella, friends will do anything to make you happy, right?" Sharpay asked, her eyebrows raised, as though she were up to something.

"Yes…"

"And it would make Nate and Alex happy if they were together, right?" Kelsi asked, sporting the same look as Sharpey.

"Okay, I know I haven't known you guys for more than twenty-four hours but I'm not dense like Mr. Troy- I'm-Too-Hot-For-My-Shirt-Bolton. What are you guys planning?"

"Well, let's just say Mitchie's quite a matchmaker," Sharpay smirked wider.

"And she doesn't like seeing cute couples not being together so it's likely that she'll get Nate and Alex together. She's never failed so far," Kelsi smiled reassuringly at Gabriella.

"Yeah, she got me and Zeke together and is the founder of Chaylor."

"Chaylor?"

"Chad and Taylor. It's faster to say Chaylor rather Chad and Taylor, you know? Like for Sharpay and Zeke. They're called Zekepay."

"O…Kay."

"Yep, and Kelsi and Ryan are called Ryelsi," Sharpay smirked as Kelsi blushed.

"We're not together, Sharpay," Kelsi rolled her eyes, the blush still evident on her cheeks.

"Not yet. You guys are, in Melinda's words, 'In-Production'," Sharpay smirked as Kelsi blushed an even deeper shade of scarlet and Gabriella let out a laugh.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

Once the others had left, Mitchie and Alex were only ones in the cafeteria. Mitchie smiled at her new roommate kindly.

"Hi. I'm Mitchie. My brother hates your family and that makes me certain you'll be a good friend," Mitchie introduced herself again. Alex smiled shyly.

"Alex Russo," she introduced herself.

"Well, let's head to our room. You're going to love it!" Mitchie exclaimed enthusiastically as she grabbed Alex's hand and they both sprinted to their room. Mitchie grinned at Alex and opened the door, waiting for her reaction.

"Welcome to the Torres and now, officially, Russo room! Ta Da!" Mitchie grinned as though performing a magical act and put her hands in the air. Alex laughed at her crazy friend and looked around the room.

"Wow! This room is huge!" she squealed. Mitchie shrugged, having been in that room since she got there.

"And we have this whole room to ourselves!" she said, grinning at her new roommate.

"Awesome!" Alex exclaimed as she poured herself a drink.

"So, Russo, tell me more about yourself. And about you and Nate," Mitchie said casually. Alex choked on her water as Mitchie said the last sentence. Mitchie laughed and patted Alex on the back.

"I think you gave it all away, honey," Mitchie said chirpily. Alex blushed as she put down her cup and started unpacking. As she was unpacking, Mitchie caught sight of a blue notebook. On the cover, it said, "My Songs."

"You write songs? Do you mind if I see them?" Mitchie asked as she showed the book to her new friend. Alex nodded and waved her off, not having been listening to their conversation. Her eyes widened as she realized she had just given Mitchie permission to open her songbook. She was about to ask it back but Mitchie had already started flipping through the pages of her notebook.

"They're – They're not that g-good," Alex stuttered.

"I'll be the judge of that," Mitchie smiled encouragingly and started reading her songs. Alex sighed as she continued unpacking, anxiously awaiting Mitchie's remarks on how horrible her songs were.

"Wow! I love this song! It's just amazing! Can you sing it for me?" Mitchie asked as she pointed to a song Alex had written about breaking free. She had written that a while ago when she was being pushed around by Paige Morris, the school bully.

"Um… sure… okay," Alex said, unsure. She grabbed her acoustic guitar and sat on the bed. She took a deep breath before starting.

_**They tell you a good girl is quiet****  
And that you should never ask why****'  
Cause it only makes it harder to fit in  
****And you should be happy, excited  
Even if you're just invited****'  
Cause the winners need  
Someone to clap for them **_

_**It's so hard, just waiting****  
In a line that never moves  
****It's time you started making  
Your own rules **_

Paige had been pushing her around from day one and Alex was sick of it. She often came home crying after being screamed at by Paige in school. Her family was worried about her but they had no idea what was going on.

_**You gotta scream until  
There's nothing left  
With your last breath, say  
Here I am, here I am  
Make 'em listen  
'Cause there's no way you'll be ignored  
Not anymore say  
Here I am, here I am  
Here I am, here I am **_

Her parents had helped her with the song. They had told her that everyone had their own voice and deserved to be listened to. Everyone had the right to stand out and be themselves.

_**You only get one life to work it  
So who cares if it's not perfect?  
Say, "It's close enough to perfect for me"  
Why should you hide from the thunder?  
And the lightning that you're under  
'Cause there ain't nobody else  
You wanna be  
If how you're living isn't working  
There's one thing that'll help  
You got to finally just stop searching  
To find yourself **_

Gabriella had told her that nobody could stop her from being herself. That Alex Russo was her own person and she did not need Paige Morris to have friends. If Alex had true friends, those friends would stay with her instead Morris.

_**You gotta scream until  
There's nothing left  
With your last breath, say  
Here I am, here I am  
Make 'em listen  
'Cause there's no way you'll be ignored  
Not anymore say  
Here I am, here I am  
Here I am, here I am **_

_**The world better make some room  
Yeah mover over, over  
'Cause you're coming through  
'Cause you're coming through **_

The Johnson brothers had cheered her up the night she created the bridge of the song. She had been crying on the roof and they had stopped by. They had then goofed around in her room by pretending they were performing on stage.

"She's taken the world by storm! So, people, make some room and noise for the one, the only, Alex Russo!" Nate had screamed at the top of his lungs, Jason and Shane shouting her name too. Gabriella had laughed as Alex had smiled to herself. _The world better make some room…_

_**You gotta scream until  
There's nothing left  
With your last breath, say  
Here I am, here I am  
Make 'em listen  
'Cause there's no way you'll be ignored  
Not anymore say  
Here I am, here I am  
Here I am, here I am**_

Alex ended the final note as tears welled up in her eyes. She remembered the day she had sung the song in front of the whole school. Paige Morris had made sure that after that day, the only friend Alex ever had in their grade was Nate.

"Wow, you have an amazing voice," Mitchie complimented her. Alex smiled thankfully.

"Thanks," she smiled shyly.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

"So, we saw our little sister looking at you just now," Zeke said as he sat up from his bed. Shane looked up from his laptop and looked at his new roommate in confusion. Chad had came in five minutes earlier, saying that he had had enough of Troy's blabbering and had made himself comfortable in their room.

"You have a sister? I thought the only one with sisters were Troy and Ryan?" he asked.

"Shane, Shane, Shane. The whole gang, we're like a family. And Mitchie's like a younger sister to all of us. She's our little baby sister. So, it's natural that we warn anyone who looks at her in a way we don't like. Or, in your case, when she looks at someone in a way we don't like," Chad said. Again, Shane looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you see her looking at you just now?"

"No, but she is pretty." Oops! Wrong thing to say.

"Dude, as long as you don't say that in front of Troy, it's all cool. Just don't hurt her, alright?"

"Zeke! We're supposed to tell him to stay away from her!"

"Well, I'm not going to do that! Mitchie would kill me!"

"Sorry to interrupt, but, don't you think Mitchie has a right to choose her own friends?" Shane asked.

"Shut up, Grey! You've only been here for less than five hours," Chad snapped.

"I'm just saying. I would be pissed off if my brothers chose my friends for me. It's my right to choose my own friends."

"He's right, you know. MItchie has the right to choose her own friends," Zeke said, looking pointedly at his best friend.

"Try telling that to Troy," Chad snorted. The two continued arguing as Shane laid down on his bed and a smiled started forming on his face as his mind wandered to a certain brunette named Mitchie Torres.

**A/N: Review! And please vote for your favorite couple on the poll on my profile! And Review! Oh wait, I already said that…**


	9. Chapter 8

A week later, the Greys, Alex and Gabriella had all somewhat adjusted to their new home. Their new-found friends had been amazing and they enjoyed all their company. Shane had especially enjoyed Mitchie's company. The girl was fun around to be with. Sure she underestimated herself sometimes but all she needed was a little push. And Shane had made it his goal to push her to achieve what she wanted when he needed to.

However, Shane did not enjoy the company of Troy Bolton. Whenever he was around, he tended to glare at the middle Grey brother as though he wanted to burn a hole through Shane's head and Shane had a feeling he would if he had the chance to.

Shane didn't blame Troy for being too protective though. He was the same, maybe even worst, when Nate, Gabriella or Alex were concerned. If anyone ever hurt them, he would want to hurt that person back. One thing Shane did not appreciate was Troy's lack of manners and his attitude towards Gabriella.

"Shane! Over here!" Mitchie waved him over and smiled. Shane grinned and started walking towards the table where the beautiful brunette and his friends sat. So into her was he that he didn't notice the foot sticking out of the next table. He tripped against it and fell, spilling all his food and falling on his chest.

Before he could pull himself up, he felt someone drag him by his shirt to pull him up. Shane resisted rolling his eyes as he came face to face with Troy Bolton. Troy lifted him against the nearest wall.

"Stay away from my sister," Troy growled. Shane rolled his eyes. Any other boy would have run but not him. He was one of the very few people who were not afraid of Troy Bolton and he was proud of it. Besides, Mitchie could take care of herself.

"She has the right to choose her own friends," Shane answered back bravely as Troy's face grew redder and redder. Out of the corner of his eye, Shane saw Mitchie fighting back a smile and felt his heart soar.

"Troy, let him go," Chad hissed as he looked around for any signs of the principal and saw that their group was attracting attention. Again. Chad groaned as he saw Gabriella and Jason approaching them, the same protective and angry look on both their faces. Oh boy, not another fight! Taylor was so gonna kill him.

"Get your hands off my best friend, Bolton," Gabriella said in a suppressing calm voice that Troy knew better than to disobey. Troy shook his head at how whipped he was and released straight-haired teenager. He felt his anger get the better of him as both his sister and Gabriella rushed forward to help Shane.

"What? You can't even fight for yourself?" Troy taunted him, his blue eyes sparkling with an unusual evil glint.

Shane clenched his fist as he tried to control his temper. Seeing him clench his fist, Mitchie gently touched him gently on the shoulder and the two looked at each other, Mtchie silently telling him to let it go.

"He's not worth it," she said aloud, turning to her brother to give him a look of disgust. Troy did a double take and felt his blood boiling. His little sister was against him. Mitchie looked at him with fire in her eyes, silently daring him to start fighting. Deciding that the two siblings needed to cool down before seeing each other again, Jason decided to take control of the situation and stepped in between the two glaring teens.

"Umm… Okay… I think that's enough tension for the day. Mitchie, don't you and Alex have some kind of history project to complete with Nate? They're in Nate's and Ryan's room now, I think. Why don't you go join them? Shane and Gabriella, you guys should help them," he suggested and pointed to the door. Knowing that he was saving them, the three of them nodded and practically sprinted to Nate's and Ryan's room. Noticing that the drama was over, the other students went back to whatever it was they were doing before the mini fight. Jason turned to Troy and Chad.

"Dorm room. Now," he ordered the dirty-blonde jerk and afro-headed best friend. Reluctantly, Troy and Chad trudged to their dormitory.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

Gabriella, Mitchie and Shane arrived at Ryan's room only less than a minute later. They were about to enter when they saw Ryan creeping out of the room in the most quietest way he was capable of and gently closed the door. He jumped when he came face to face with the three.

"Jesus!"

"No, Shane Grey. Why are you sneaking out?"

"Because I don't want to disturb the lovebirds."

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asked as she walked towards him. Ryan opened the door slightly.

"See for yourselves," he said simply. Mitchie and Gabriella awed while Shane rolled his eyes. On Nate's bed, Alex was lying down beside him with her head buried into his chest. His arm was wrapped protectively around her and his head was on top of hers. It was the cutest picture perfect moment ever. Mitchie took out her phone and snapped a picture, causing a loud noise to be produced from the phone.

"Oh snap!"

As the two sleepy teenagers stirred awake, the other three left as quickly as they could.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

"Dude, I thought things were cool between us?" Jason asked as he sat down at his computer table. Troy sat on his bed and Chad was on his. Troy rolled his eyes.

"We are cool. But dude, what was I supposed to do? He was looking at my little sister like how Chad looked at Taylor! I can't have that, man!"

"Hey! I resent that! I love Taylor!"

"Exactly! And my little sister is only fifteen! She's too young to be having guys fall for her and definitely too young to be falling in love!"

Jason groaned. If he could see one similarity between Troy, Gabriella and Shane is that the three of them were too protective of the ones they loved for their own good. Chad rolled his eyes.

"Dude, if I remember correctly, you met your "first love" when you were ten," Chad reminded his best friend, quoting the words 'fist love' with his fingers. Troy rolled his eyes while Jason looked intrigued.

"Troy Bolton? In love? And at the tender age of ten? Somebody catch me!" he gasped dramatically as he put his hand to his head and swayed gaily. Troy and Chad looked at him in disgust. "What? It's arts!" Jason quickly defended himself.

"No, it's called being gay. Anyway, being in love with a celebrity doesn't count!"

"Oh, please, you swore you were gonna marry Angelina Jolie and actually tore out the magazines when they reported that she was marrying Brad Pitt! You threw darts at pictures of that poor blonde dude for months!"

Not being able to control his laughter any longer, Jason burst out laughing as Chad smirked and Troy rolled his eyes, not feeling the least bit embarrassed. After all, Jason was his roommate and he had a feeling he would be his friend just like Chad, Zeke and Ryan. And Troy did not know why, but he started laughing too. Along with Jason, the two laughed like complete maniacs. And was it because he did not want to feel left out or was it their infectious laughter, Chad Danforth never ever figured out why he would laugh along with them. But he did.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

During dinner, the tension between Troy and Mitchie was obvious and so thick Sharpay was almost certain she could slice it with a knife. Okay, she wasn't certain but she knew that expression from some book Ryan had forced her to read.

Troy played around with his food as he watched Mitchie talk animatedly with her friends. The two of them had been glaring at each other every now and then and neither one of them was willing to give up or give in. Gabriella had shot him dirty looks from her table and Jason, Alex and Nate had shot him sympathetic ones. He once caught Shane giving him a, dare he say, understanding look.

From his table, he saw Shane grab his attention when he gently grabbed Mitchie by the shoulders so that he could talk to her. His curiosity arose, however, when he saw Shane jerking his head towards his direction and Mitchie looked to the ground dejectedly. Troy saw his little sister shake her head as though she were feeling ashamed of herself and she got up. The people at the other table all gave her looks of encouragement (Troy was surprised that Gabriella was one of them) as she walked slowly to the Wildcat's gang, dragging her feet as she walked.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. Troy stared at her as Chad choked on his water. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Taylor rolling her eyes before patting Chad on the back.

"For what?"

"For choosing Shane's side. This is only between you and him and I shouldn't have anything to do with it. I'm sorry," she apologized, her eyes glazing with tears and she looked at Troy like a lost child. Troy felt his heart breaking as he pulled her towards him and hugged her.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into it," he whispered into her ear and hugged her protectively even tighter than before, as if he were losing her. And in some weird way, he figured he was losing her. But maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't lose her completely.

From the other side of the room, Shane smiled as he watched the siblings make up. It had taken a while to get Mitchie to talk to Troy and he had had to say some pretty cliché stuff but he had meant every single word of it.

"_You don't want to be choosing sides, Mitchie. He's your brother. You've known him longer than me. The past week is nothing compared to your whole life. I've only been here one week, Mitch, but your brother has been here for you your whole life. I think you owe him a little more than this coldness towards him, don't you think?" _

Mitchie had looked at him like a lost puppy at first. But then, understanding dawned on her face and she looked ashamed of herself. Shane had somehow, through his words, manage to get through to her. She had nodded at him and had slowly walked over to her brother to apologize.

Alex, Nate, Jason and Gabriella smiled knowingly at each other as they watched Shane watch Mitchie and Troy. Shane was falling. Hard. And this time, they didn't have the slightest problem with the girl he was falling for.

Shane felt his heart beating faster as Troy headed towards their table in with Mitchie and the gang in long strides.

"You were right and I was wrong. I'm sorry. Mitchie does have a right to make her own friends," Troy apologized as he held his hand forward, waiting for Shane to shake it. Shane leaned towards Jason.

"Did he just apologize?" Shane whispered loudly and laughed as Troy rolled his eyes. He shook hands with Troy and was about to say something when Principal Matsui appeared at their sides. He pointed at Shane, Gabriella, Jason, Nate and Alex.

"I'd like to see the five of you in my office, please. There is someone here who has been dying to see you," he smiled kindly.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

"HANSON!" Alex screamed as soon as she saw him and threw her arms around her family lawyer. Hanson laughed happily and hugged her back before hugging Gabriella. He shook Jason's hand and nodded at Shane and Nate like he always did.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriella asked. Hanson felt the smile slide off his face and took a deep breath before handing each of them different colored envelopes. The next thing Hanson said totally blew them off. Gabriella felt her legs wobble as she traced over the familiar handwriting. It was her mom's. She turned to her sister and saw that Alex had recognized the handwriting on the envelope too.

"These were written at the start of the year. By your parents."

**A/N: Review! And tell me what you think! Please! And for those of you who read my other Camp Rock story, Sacrificing Your Love, I am going to write an alternate ending, or rather, a better one than before so please look out for it!**

**P.S. REVIEW!!! Please? **


	10. Chapter 9

_Previously… _

"_HANSON!" Alex screamed as soon as she saw him and threw her arms around her family lawyer. Hanson laughed happily and hugged her back before hugging Gabriella. He shook Jason's hand and nodded at Shane and Nate like he always did._

"_What are you doing here?" Gabriella asked. Hanson felt the smile slide off his face and took a deep breath before handing each of them different colored envelopes. The next thing Hanson said totally blew them off. Gabriella felt her legs wobble as she traced over the familiar handwriting. It was her mom's. She turned to her sister and saw that Alex had recognized the handwriting on the envelope too._

"_These were written at the start of the year. By your parents."_

**Through the Ups and Downs**

That night, neither of the Russo sisters or the Grey brothers could get some sleep. They were too occupied with their parent's letter. Similar questions kept running through their heads. Why had their parents written the letters? Was it because they knew they were going to die? What were they thinking when they wrote the letters? The only way to find out was to open them.

Ironically, none of them had opened the letters the moment they received them. Nate had received his letter with his hands shaking, Shane had snatched his away from the family lawyer, Jason had smiled at Hanson thankfully and both Gabriella and Alex had given him watery smiles before taking theirs. They each, with the exception of Shane, had thanked him for delivering the letters before silently going back to the room, none of them uttering a single word.

Gabriella traced her fingers over her mother's handwriting and hugged the envelope closer to her, knowing her mother had been the last person to have touched it before Hanson had retrieved the letters. Looking over to make sure Kelsi was asleep, Gabriella turned on her night light and opened the envelope with her hands shaking, unable to resist any longer.

_My Dear Gabriella,_

_Since you're reading this, I would first like to say that I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I won't be there for you when you graduate high school. I'm sorry I won't be there for you when you get your first date, your first kiss and your first boyfriend. I'm sorry I won't be there for you when you graduate from college and start your own career. I'm sorry I won't be there for your wedding, the birth of your first child and so many other events in your life that I am going to miss. _

_Angel, you're probably wondering why I'm writing this letter. I'll tell you why. Fourteen years ago, I lost two of my best friends from college. Jack and Lucille Bolton. You're probably wondering why you never heard of them before. Well, I never talked them because it hurt. It hurt to talk about them because there was so much that we were all supposed to do together and so many things we never would. _

_They had a son and a daughter. Troy Alexander Bolton and Michelle Torres Bolton. He was only four years old and she was one. Michelle is Troy's half-sister. Jack and Lucille passed away in a shooting accident, Gabriella. They were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Jack had been shot once and was about to be shot the second time but Lucille tried saving him. The bullet hit her instead. They both didn't make it. _

_Seeing their bodies was horrible, Angel. But seeing young Troy, looking so lost, so traumatised by what he had witnessed was worse. Yes, Gabriella, he had been with them. He had witnessed his parent's murder. He had seen what many four-year-olds should never see. I remember how he looked at the funeral. He was so lost, so grieved but he stood by his sister's pram and glared at anyone whom he didn't know who came near them. He made sure no one touched her but him._

_For a four-year-old, it was impressive. He and his sister were then sent to with a relative. I didn't see them for a little while. Angel, the point of this letter is that if I die tomorrow, I just want you to know that you are never alone. You have a step-father who treats you like his own daughter. A godmother and a godfather who loves you almost as much as I do. Three boys who are unofficially your protectors. And a sister who cares about you so much that she'd fall sick just to help you. _

_You're probably still wondering about what had happened to the Boltons. A few months after they had been sent to live with their only living relative who loved them and cared for them, their grandmother died of heart attack. They were supposed to live with their aunt next but she didn't want to have anything to do with them. She was convinced that they were jinxed. And so, they were sent to live in an orphanage. _

_I tried getting custody of them, Angel, I swear I did, but I couldn't. I was not a relative, not a godmother or any form of a legal guardian for them. I check on them every week to make sure they're okay. They're still at the orphanage, Angel. And apparently, they're pranksters, just like their parents. From what I've heard from my good friend, Cameron Matsui, they make sure that they never get adopted because it would mean their separation._

_And they're one of the reasons why you would be in the Breaking Free Orphanage in case you have no legal guardians. I write this letter every year, Gabriella. It changes each year and it becomes so much harder than the last. Because year, my hands shake even harder than before. Each year, my eyes get teary just thinking about leaving you. Each year, I love you and your sister even more than before. _

_We've been through so much together, Gabriella, but we managed to get through them. We got through your biological father and so many other things. You were my rock, the glue that kept me together and I thank you for that. You were always the strong one, and I thank you for that. You and Alex brought me and Jerry together and I thank you for that. _

_He's a good man, isn't he, your step-father? And I am so glad that you got another chance of having a good father who loves and cares about you and your sister more than anything in the world. I am thankful that I got the best husband, who loved me for my imperfections. I don't know what I did to deserve him, Gabriella. I really don't. _

_I love you, Gabriella. So, so much. Never forget that. Never doubt it. No matter what wrong you've done, I'm still your mother and I'll always be with you. Through the ups and downs, whether you want me there or not and whether you know I'm there for you or not. _

_I love you, my sweet angel. _

_Love,  
Your Mother_

Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks as she traced her fingers over her mother's signature. She knew she should cry, to just let go but she couldn't. Not in the room where Kelsi could wake up at any time and see her. She turned off the night light and got out of bed, carefully tiptoeing out of the room to find a spot where she could just cry and not let anybody see her.

She walked on and on, getting further and further away from her dorm, not knowing or caring about where she was going to end up at. At the moment, she couldn't see anything. Her mind was blank and she let her feet take her where she needed to be.

She stopped as she reached an abandoned stairway and forced open the door. She blindly climbed up the stairs and sat on a bench to cry her heart out, not caring that she was on the rooftop of the orphanage. Gabriella read her mother's letter again with the help of the light emitting out of her mobile phone and finally let her tears go, crying for the loss of her mother and step-father.

The brunette jumped when she felt a pair of arms around her but relaxed when she realized that she felt safe in them, like she could trust the person even though she didn't know who it was. She didn't care who was holding her but she was glad for that person because that was what she needed. A shoulder to cry on, a friend to lean on and a person who wasn't Alex or the Grey brothers so that they wouldn't see her so vulnerable. She hugged the person closer and buried her face into his chest, enjoying how he was holding her tight.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

Troy was surprised at how comfortable Gabriella was, considering the fact that she probably didn't know who she was with. That little fact made his blood boil. What if it had been a creepy stalker and not him? She could have been bloody raped. But right then, that wasn't the issue.

The issue was that Gabriella was crying and he wanted to know why. He _needed_ to know why so that he could comfort her properly and tell her that everything was going to be okay. He wanted her to feel okay so that she would shout at him for touching her. He'd prefer that than seeing her so heart-broken.

A few minutes later, her sobs ceased and Troy realised that she had fallen asleep. He watched her sleep with an affectionate smile and watched as her chest rose. He picked her up gently and was about to leave when he spotted a few pieces of paper stapled together. Putting her down on the bench, he stuffed the papers into his pyjama pocket before picking her up again and walked towards the exit of the rooftop, determined to get her a more comfortable place to sleep and smiling even bigger when she snuggled up to him.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

Shane awoke to the sound of Zeke's snoring and looked around. It was already morning, he knew that but he was not used to the fact that he was awake before Zeke. It had to be the first time. Looking around, his eyes finally rested on the brown envelope on his bedside table. He picked it up slowly and examined it, before tearing the envelope. He laughed happily as he saw a few pink pieces of paper stapled together. Typical. It was so like his dad to use pink to tease him.

Shane Grey was smiling when he started reading his father's letter.

_Shane,_

_I hope the colour is manly enough for you. _

Shane pictured his father grinning as he wrote the letter.

_The reason I'm writing this letter is because well, your mother forced me to after she was Marie writing a similar letter like this ten years ago. The letters change every year as you grow up and different events in your life have occurred. You're all growing up. You've had your first date, your first kiss and apparently, your first slap. _

Shane laughed as he pictured his father with the twinkle in his eyes, unaware of that Zeke had woken up and the presence of a young brunette.

_Jokes aside, Shane. I think this letter's a good idea. In case some things do happen to me or your mother, I just want the three of you to know that your mother and I will always love. You've all wondered why you never had any relatives before and you're probably still wondering why. You'll actually find out about them in Jason's letter. It's up to him whether he wants you guys to know or not. Yes, Shane, it's that serious. _

Shane groaned. Great, more secrets.

_I'm sorry, Shane. In each of your letters, your mother and I have something different, yet equally important, to share with all of you. What we tell you, you can either choose to keep it to yourself or tell your brothers. It is completely up to you. And Shane, what I have to tell you is probably the most important. _

_All your life, there's always only been the three Grey brothers. Jason Kevin Grey, Nathaniel Jerry Grey and of course you, Shane Adam Grey. I know you're wondering where this is going. But Shane, try to recall. Hadn't there been a time when your mother was gone for about a year and all we got from her was phone calls? Jason was ten, you were nine and Nate was seven. The three of you thought you were losing her. _

_The truth, Shane, is that your mother was pregnant. Yes… You, Shane Grey, were going to be an older brother for the second time. But destiny was against your brother being born. Your mother had a 50-50 percent chance of survival if she gave birth to the baby. _

_And so, she went to live at a friends' house. She wouldn't even let me take care of her. She was determined to have the baby and having me beside her would apparently slow her down. She would call you every night to assure you she'd be back but she would never talk to me. I was away from my wife, my better half and it was all that baby's fault. I'm ashamed to say, Shane, that I actually hated that baby for a while. _

_It was a bright afternoon when I got the news that your mother had given birth to your baby brother. I rushed to the hospital she was at, finally glad that she wanted me by her side. When I looked at your brother's face, Shane, I was so happy your mother had decided to keep him. He was so peaceful, so full of life and I felt that same pride I felt when you boys were born. _

_What I am about to say now may get you to hate me but I'd like you to know that I had no choice. We were having some financial difficulties then and another child would be nothing but a burden. And so, we gave Frank Bradley Grey up for adoption. _

_I'm sorry, Shane. Sorry that you'll have to find out this way, sorry that we can't clear things up and sorry that you probably hate us now. But Shane, please don't hate your mother. Never hate her. She was against the adoption. It was all my idea. And now, Shane, I need your help. _

_Since you're reading this letter, I am probably not around anymore. I want you to help me find your brother, Shane. I want you to make sure he's safe. I want you to get to know him and love him like you love your other brothers. I know I'm in no position to get you to do this but please, Shane. Find him. I know you'll tell your brothers about this. _

_Please remember that your mother and I love you and your brothers so very much. I am sorry we were cowards and chose to write to you instead of telling you. I'm sorry, Shane. We're sorry. Please forgive us. And please remember. Live like you're at the bottom even if you're on top._

_We love you._

_Dad_

Shane screamed as he threw the letter to the ground before stomping out of the room, still unaware of Mitchie and Zeke. The two looked at each other in a state of shock before Mitchie tore after Shane. Zeke picked up the papers and put it on Shane's table, almost reading it but he decided against it. The letter was obviously personal and Zeke Baylor knew better than to read anything personal without permission.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

"Shane? Are you okay?" Mitchie asked him as she put her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. Shane turned to her, his eyes red as though he was trying to hold in his tears. Spotting the nearest boys' toilet – which was never used by the students because they preferred their dorm bathrooms – Mitchie grabbed him by his shirt gently and pulled him into the bathroom. She took some toilet paper and handed them to him to wipe away the few stray tears that he had not been able to hold in. Shane looked at her and then at the toilet paper in disgust.

"You expect me to wipe my face in toilet paper?" he asked her incredulously. Mitchie rolled her eyes and wiped his tears for him, ignoring his protests.

"You are such a girl," she laughed and threw the toilet paper into the bin. Shane glared at her playfully before the smile slid off his face and was replaced by his sad look. Mitchie sighed and lifted his chin so that she could see his pain-filled eyes. "What happened?"

Shane sighed. It was his family matter. Should he tell her? It was personal. Deciding not to tell her the entire thing, he kept his answer short. "Let's just say I found out that my parents aren't as perfect as I thought were."

"Nobody's perfect."

"Yeah, that's true but what they did was unforgivable," he gritted his teeth, as he spoke, his world wind of emotions clear to Mitchie. Mitchie took his hand and squeezed it gently as a sign of comfort. She smiled at him.

"I don't believe that. And neither do you."

* * *

_**Preview of next chapter…**_

_~Scene shows Nate in a fight with Jason ~_

"_YOU'RE THE REASON THEY'RE GONE!" he shouted at Jason before sprinting out of the room. _

_~ Scene shows Shane and Mitchie leaning in ~_

_~ Scene shows Chad being interrogated in a room with Troy and the principal walks in ~_

"_Alright. We're going to make this fast and quick. Who did it?" the principal asked, looking at the boys sternly through his glasses. The two teenagers kept quiet. _

"_Chad, I know how important your date with Taylor is tomorrow. All I have to do is not give you permission and-"_

"_It was his idea! I was just helping!" Chad yelped. The principal smiled triumphantly while Troy groaned. _

**A/N: Please review! This chapter's got a bit of their history, huh? Anyway, please review! The next chapter should be up by next week!**


	11. Chapter 10

_Previously…_

_Shane sighed. It was his family matter. Should he tell her? It was personal. Deciding not to tell her the entire thing, he kept his answer short. "Let's just say I found out that my parents aren't as perfect as I thought were."_

"_Nobody's perfect."_

"_Yeah, that's true but what they did was unforgivable," he gritted his teeth, as he spoke, his world wind of emotions clear to Mitchie. Mitchie took his hand and squeezed it gently as a sign of comfort. She smiled at him._

"_I don't believe that. And neither do you."_

**Through the Ups and Downs**

A month later, Nate sighed as he watched his second older brother eat his dinner in silence. Shane was hiding something, that much was obvious. He had been acting weird and distant since the day they had received the letters and Shane had not said a single word about it. Gabriella had talked about hers but Shane and Nate had kept quiet about theirs. Alex and Jason had admitted to not opening theirs yet and neither was questioned for their actions.

Nate had no idea as to what he should do. Should he ask Shane what the matter was? Then again, the last time that had happened, he had ended up being told to go somewhere he sure as hell didn't want to go.

As the two brothers ate their dinner in a rare awkward silence, neither of them noticed Sharpay joining them at their table. She slammed her food tray onto the table with an annoyed grunt, causing both Shane and Nate to jump slightly from their seats in surprise, still unused to the blonde's dramatic entrances.

Sharpay huffed as she played around with her food, stabbing her chicken piece as though she was trying to re-kill it. Shane gulped in fear as he looked at his brother slowly. Mitchie had warned him that an unhappy Sharpay was a violent Sharpay. Was he finally going to witness what Mitchie had meant by that?

Nate gulped, just like his brother had moments before, turning to the obviously angry and furious older girl as she stabbed her chicken even harder.

"Umm... Sharpay?"

"Yes, Nate?"

"I think the chicken's already dead," he smiled weakly, hoping that Sharpay would somehow calm down. His words had managed to reduce the force Sharpay was using on the poor dead chicken but she was still red in the face.

"Sharpay, what's wrong?" Shane asked gently, as he slowly took the fork out of her hand, still somewhat afraid of her.

"Why would you want to know?" she snapped.

"Well, if you don't want to tell –"

"Alright! Stop badgering me! I'll tell you," she sighed. Shane raised his eyebrows while Nate smiled amusedly at the blonde's antics. Maybe she wasn't _that_ scary. "Zeke cancelled on me! Again! It's the second time this week that he's done that. And we had this argument about how we didn't spend enough time together. I mean, if he had something important to do then I wouldn't mind but he's playing basketball with _your_ brother and the other guys," she emphasised on the fact that Jason was taking her away from her boyfriend as though it were their fault.

Nate frowned. Now that he thought about it, it was the second time that week that Jason had not eaten dinner with them because he was hanging out with the guys. Alex and Gabriella weren't with them because Gabriella had some research to do and Alex and Mitchie had some last minute project thingy to complete. Last he checked, Jason's excuse was not as good as the girls.

"Sharpay, would you mind if I let you see it from a guy's point of view?" Shane asked, startling Nate out of his thoughts. Sharpay shrugged.

"Be my guest," she grunted.

"Well, from what I've seen, Zeke spent the whole of last week with you since it was your anniversary and everything. And, I'm just saying that maybe he just missed hanging around with the guys."

"So what? That gives him the right to abandon his girlfriend?!" Nate asked, suddenly feeling angry at Zeke. Shane looked surprised at his brother's question and as did Sharpay. Suddenly feeling the need to defend her boyfriend, Sharpay spoke up.

"Well, he hasn't really _abandoned_ me. I mean we did spend lunch and breakfast together," she added thoughtfully. Shane smiled, glad that she was finally clearing her doubts while Nate looked at her in disbelief. A smile crept up her face. "You know what, Shane? That totally helped! Thanks, you guys!"

She kissed each of them on the cheek before rushing out of the cafeteria, presumably to find her boyfriend. Shane turned to his brother as soon as Sharpay was out of sight.

"What was that about?" the straight-haired Grey brother asked. Nate shrugged and got back to eating his food. Or at least he tried to. Shane pushed the tray away from him.

"Nate, what was that about?" he repeated himself; the tone in his voice became stronger and fiercer than before.

"Nothing."

"The hell that was nothing. Tell me."

"I'll tell you what's going on with me if you tell me what's going on with you," Nate compromised. Shane did a double take.

"There's nothing wrong with me. And this conversation's about you, not me."

"Whatever," the younger brother scoffed as he got up from his seat and made to leave the cafeteria. Shane sighed before rushing after his brother, determined to find out what was bothering Nate without revealing his own secret.

**Through the Ups and Downs**

Mitchie and Alex were concentrating real hard on their latest project. They were, in fact, half-way done when they heard footsteps thumping past their room with a heated argument on the way. Glancing at Alex with an annoyed look on her face for being disturbed, Mitchie jumped off the bed and strode to the door, Alex on her heels in case she needed to be calm her friend down. What they saw when they stormed into Nate and Ryan's room was something that knocked them off their feet.

Shane and Nate were fighting. And not the verbal fights they usually have but the actual physical fight. Mitchie watched form the sidelines, her face in complete shock. She never thought she'd live to see the day when Nate and Shane actually fought. Seeing Nate get fling over to the other side of the room, Alex gasped as she made to run forward to help him. She stopped when he looked at her with fierce eyes and with a dark look on his face. Her breath hitched when she saw that look. Oh no. Not again.

Finally deciding it was enough when Nate punched Shane squarely in the jaw and sent him flying to the ground, Alex did the only thing she could do. She stepped in between the two brothers when Shane stood up to get back into the fight, daring them to strike each other with her in the middle.

Shane put down his fist slowly, ashamed that he had been punching and hurting his little brother. He smiled apologetically and thankfully at Alex who gave him an uncertain one in return. Nate, however, was still looking as though he wanted to fight his brother even with a bloody lip. He pushed Alex aside and grabbed Shane by the collar before slamming his brother into the nearest wall.

"Bring that bitch up again and it'll be worse than this, _brother_," he spat before storming out of the room, ignoring the silent tears on Alex face. Mitchie rushed towards a bleeding Shane and helped him up onto the bed.

"What the hell happened?" she asked while examining his cuts and bruises. Shane brushed her off gently and jerked his head to Alex. Mitchie's eyes widened when she saw the state her friend was in.

Alex was shaking and whimpering as though she had just seen the scariest thing in the world. Shane limped towards her slowly and wrapped his arms around her tightly as she cried harder into his chest, afraid for her best friend. Mitchie smiled from the sidelines, ignoring the horrible feeling of anger in the pit of stomach when she saw Shane hug her friend so protectively. As she made to leave, her eyes caught Shane's.

"Could you get Jason for me, please? And Gabriella too."

It tore Mitchie that he sounded so broken, so lost. She nodded mutely before running off to find the oldest Grey brother and Gabriella. She was back within a few minutes with the two requested people .

Gabriella felt her heart breaking and moved towards her sister to hug her as Shane handed the fragile Alex over to her gently. Jason walked towards the trio cautiously and almost gasped when he saw the state Alex was in.

Mitchie watched from the sidelines and felt her earlier anger and resentment towards Alex disappear. It was a family thing, she realised. Shane and Alex had no feelings whatsoever for each other. They were friends, and if she hadn't read their profiles before being introduced to them, she would have thought them as siblings.

"What happened?" Jason's question startled her out of her thoughts. She quietly left the room after hearing Shane's answer, deciding that it was a matter that needed to be settled between the siblings.

"Tiffany came up."

Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"You have got to be kidding me. You brought up Tiffany? Shane, how could you? You know that's a sore subject with Nate!" she hit the already bruised guy on the head. Shane yelped and glared at her. Alex smiled weakly as she snuggled up to her sister and closed her eyes.

"I thought he was over her! And anyway, he was acting weird during dinner and I just wanted to make sure he was okay, you know? And besides, then the conversation became more tensed and before I knew it, he threw the first punch."

"Well, can you blame him? That bitch almost killed all Alex and him."

**Through the Ups and Downs**

_My dear Nathaniel, _

_Since you are reading this letter, I am going to assume that your father and I are no longer with you. I am so sorry for that, Nate. Sorry that we are no longer in your lives and we can no longer watch you boys grow up to be the men you are all slowly becoming. Talented, wise and if I do say so myself, incredibly charming. Hey, can you blame me? It's the motherly pride!_

_Nate, this letter is extremely important because your father and I, and even Marie and Jerry, for that matter, had just realized how unpredictable life can be. More than ten years ago, all of us lost two dear friends, Jack and Lucille Bolton. Their deaths left us devastated. And from their deaths, we learnt that death can take any of us at any time. And so, the four of us decided to write a letter for each and every one of you. _

_In this letters, you guys will learn about how important you are to us and the things we have always wanted to tell you. In Jason's letter, you guys learn about your relatives. In Shane's letters, you learn about a special somebody. In Gabriella's, you learn about Troy Bolton and Mitchie Torres. In Alexandria's, well, I don't know what Jerry would write about. I guess you're going to have to ask her yourself._

_Now, since you know I'm stalling, I'll tell you why I'm writing this letter to you. I just wanted you to know, Nate, that you don't have to feel guilty anymore. And you know what I'm talking about. _

_What happened with Tiffany and her brother was unfortunate. But Nate, you did what you had to do. Eric Landers was about to rape your best friend. Of course you couldn't have just sit there and do nothing. I've told you time and again. It's not your fault. _

_Yes, you shouldn't have dumped Tiffany over the phone. Yes, you shouldn't have used her to make Alex jealous and yes, you shouldn't have tried to kill her brother but I'm afraid, Nathaniel, that that is life. People make mistakes. Some bigger than the others. The important thing is that you learn from them and never make them again._

_I know you want to leave it all behind. You want to forget all about it but you know you can't because you can't run from the truth. And the truth is that you almost killed Eric to protect your friend. Nate, Eric wasn't right in the head. He was fifteen years old and he was about to rape an innocent fifteen year old girl just because he thought she was the reason you broke up with Tiffany. _

_I need you to talk to somebody, Nate. It's almost been two years now and you haven't spoken about it at all. You're worrying me and everyone around you. And I don't know whether you notice it or not, but you've been more reserved ever since. The only one who has been able to get through to you is either Alex or your father. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm jealous it wasn't me but I'm glad you have someone to talk to. _

_My dear son, an ending leads to a new beginning. Please take care of your brothers and yourself for me and your father. We love the three of you so very much. And while you're at that, take care of Gabriella and Alex too. You'll never find such good girls with such pure hearts, especially with everything they've been through. _

_Please, Nate, start talking to somebody. I love you, Natey. _

_Love,  
Your Mother_

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he closed his eyes to somehow stop the tears from falling, the memory of the most painful day of his life entering his mind again.

**A/N: I know it's been a while… I'm sorry! But please forgive me and review!**


	12. Chapter 11

His brother was hurting. And it was his fault. He shouldn't have brought up the bitch. He knew Nate hated her. And what happened all those years ago was not his fault. How could he have blamed his younger brother?

"Shane?" The timid voice startled him out of his thoughts. Shane smiled slightly as he saw Mitchie poking her head through the bedroom door as though she were afraid to come in.

"Mitchie, hey. I'm not gonna eat you, you know," he chuckled as he motioned for her to come in. The brunette smiled, although it did not reach her eyes.

"A penny of your thoughts, Sire?" She needed to know what happened. She had never seen Alex like she had just moments before. It had scared the crap out of her and she was not going to leave until she got her answers so that she could help her best friend.

"It's my fault Nate acted like he did just now."

"Shane…" She had to stop him. He can't possibly be responsible for Nate's uncalled for actions.

"No! Just listen, alright? You're Alex's friend now and mine too, for that matter. So you need to know this, okay? So you can help Alex. This happened two years ago, Mitchie, and it was the most terrifying moment of all our lives…"

_**2 years ago…**_

_It was disgusting. The fact that her best friend was sucking face with her mortal enemy since pre-school was down-right wrong. And to top it all off, Tiffany was looking at her from across the school gym with her tongue down Nate's throat with a triumphant look on her face. Thirteen-year-old Alex Russo sprinted from the school field to grab her books, ignoring the yells from her family members and a finally free Nathaniel Grey. _

_She grabbed her books from her locker, trying but not succeeding in keeping her tears in as she did so. She stomped out of the school compound, ignoring the fact that it was raining heavily. _

"_Alexandria Russo! Get in the car now or Mom will kill me!" fifteen-year-old Gabriella Montez screamed through the heavy and loud patter of the rain from the inside of the car Jason was driving. Her crazy little sister ignored her as she continued walking in the rain. From the front seat, Shane stuck his head out the window as the car drove along the pathway to Alex's speed, ignoring the curses of the oncoming cars from behind them._

"_Alex, stop being an idiot! Get in the damn car!" _

"_Go away!" _

"_Alexandria Margarita Russo! If you don't get in the car right now, I swear to God I will do something so bad you'll remember it for the rest of your soon to be miserable life!" Gabriella yelled again, only to hit her head against Shane's seat when Jason suddenly stepped on the brakes. "A warning would've been nice, Jason," she mumbled as she narrowed her eyes when she looked at him. _

_The oldest Grey brother ignored her as he stepped out of the car after opening his umbrella. He ran up to Alex and stopped right in front of her, making sure he was keeping her dry. Or in his case, started stopping her from getting wet. He examined her pale face, her red eyes and her wet, messy hair. Feeling his sympathetic eyes on her, Alex felt her heart breaking again. Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks as her body shook from the cold and her grief. Gently, Jason took the books from Alex's hands and removed her backpack from her shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her to the car, silencing Gabriella and Shane when they were about to ask their questions with his fierce eyes. _

_Once they were home, Alex had immediately shut herself in her room, leaving the older three to answer to her worried parents and godparents. She only came down when it was time for dinner, only to have felt sick and depressed all over again. _

_After a few minutes at dinner with the constant puke-worthy flirting between Nate and Tiffany, Alex excused herself from dinner and went to her room. Nobody had expected Nate to introduce his bitch of his girlfriend to the family that night. Tiffany had been fake the whole time. Her fake smiles, praises. Why couldn't Nate see right through her? Alex took out the guitar her biological mother had left for her and started strumming it, almost feeling better when she started playing. _

_**Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see****  
That I want and I'm needing everything that we should be****  
I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about  
And she's got everything that I have to live without**_

_**Drew talks to me, I laugh 'cause It's just so damn funny****  
That I can't even see anyone when he's with me****  
He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right  
I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night**_

_**He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar****  
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star  
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do**_

_**Drew walks by me, can he tell that I can't breathe?****  
And there he goes, so perfectly  
The kind of flawless I wish I could be**_

_**She'd better hold him tight, give him all her love  
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky cause**_

_**He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar****  
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star****  
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do  
**_

_**So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light  
****I'll put his picture down and maybe  
Get some sleep tonight**_

_**He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar****  
The Only one who's got enough of me to break my heart  
He's the song in the car I keep singing don't know why I do**_

_**He's the time taken up but there's never enough  
And he's all that I need to fall into...**_

_**Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see.**_

"_Okay. Who's Drew and why don't I know about him?" _

_Alex quickly wiped her tears as she set the guitar down before plastering a tight, fake smile on her face. Nate flicked an unwiped falling tear from her face. He did not look happy. _

"_Who's Drew?"_

"_What do you care? You've been AWOL from my life since you started dating Barbie," she sniffed as she turned her back to him and grabbed the nearest thing she could find – her locket – to keep her hands busy so that she wouldn't slap him. _

"_Tiffany's a nice girl. I really don't see why you guys don't like her," Nate sighed. "She's funny and nice and if you guys hang out together then maybe –"_

"_Not gonna happen. Anyway, Drew's just this guy," she quickly changed the subject. The last thing she wanted was to fight with her best friend. _

"_Who you're crying over," he stated the obvious. Alex sighed as she turned to him to explain herself. _

"_I really like him but he doesn't like me. He likes this other girl and she's beautiful."_

"_You want me to talk to him?" he sounded so genuinely concerned that Alex wanted to cry right there and then. How could he think of hooking her up with another guy when it was he she wanted?_

"_No, it's okay," she forced a small smile onto her face. "Umm… Nate, I'm really tired. I kinda had a rough day so…"_

"_Oh, right," Nate got up from her bed before walking to the door. "Night, Lexi." When she didn't answer him, he shook his head dejectedly and closed the door. If he had stayed a second longer, he would've heard Alex's heart-broken reply. _

"_Goodnight, Drew." _

_**A few days later…**_

"_Nate, I'm serious. It's either her or me."_

_The sentence she had been waiting for. It was only a matter of time before bitchy Tiffany showed her true colours to Nate. Alex held her breath from outside the music room. What was Nate waiting for? _

_Just break-up with her! Her mind screamed. She was his best friend since forever, the person he always went to when he had a problem and the person who understood him more than anyone else in the world. Why couldn't he just tell Tiffany goodbye? Did Tiffany mean that much to him? Or did she, Alexandria Russo, mean so little to him?_

"_Tiff, Alex is my best friend. Please, try to understand," he was begging her. Oh god, he was begging. She had to get in there. Stop him from being so pathetic around the blonde bimbo. Tiffany rolled her eyes and made to leave when Nate grabbed her shoulders to stop her from leaving, the pain in his eyes at having to choose between his best friend and his girlfriend evident. Alex was just about to step into the room when she heard the sentence that crushed her to pieces. _

"_I chose you, Tiffany."_

_And for the second time that week, Alex Russo ran from the school compound with her heart breaking into tiny little pieces._

**Present day with Shane and Mitchie…**

"He chose her?!" Mitchie gasped as she covered her mouth. Shane nodded with a smug smile on his face. Nate had always been idiot whenever Tiffany was around. Mitchie could not believe her ears. How could Nate have been so stupid? "But how did Alex forgive him? And you guys, for that matter?"

"We didn't talk to him for like two weeks until the day Tiffany broke up with him after she cheated on him."

"What?! After everything Nate did for her – sacrificing his friendship with Alex and everything else – she cheated and broke up with him?!" Mitchie shrieked. Shane nodded grimly. "Wow. What a bitch."

"Yeah, she was. And she was only thirteen. Imagine that."

"Wow."

"Anyway, Nate was a wreck when Tiffany broke up with him and Alex, being Alex, forgave him almost immediately."

"She just took him back? Just like that? Because he was a wreck?"

"Just like that. That's how much my dear brother means to her."

_**Two years ago…**_

_Alex stopped typing on her computer when she heard a gentle tapping on her door. And not just normal knocking. Seven knocks followed by another five. Only one person crossed her mind. Nate. _

_Slowly, she got up from her chair before opening the door. Her eyes widened and she gasped when she saw the sight in front of her. Nate's hair was messier than usual, his eyes were almost as red as hers been a few weeks ago and his eyes… they looked so sad, so lost like a young child alone in a shopping mall for the first time without his parents. _

"_Alex…"_

_And he collapsed into her waiting arms. She led him to the bed as he told her all about Tiffany and how sorry he was. He should've chosen her. He should've known better. And she listened. Patiently without interrupting him. Letting him let out all his feelings, knowing it would make him feel better since it always did. She looked sympathetic at the right time, gave him a gentle squeeze on his arm when it got a little too painful for him to continue. _

_She had never seen him weak and broken and it scared the crap out of her that he could be so vulnerable because of Tiffany. _

_The next day, she stood by him the whole time in school and even got into a fist fight with Jack Hemlock, the jerk who had rubbed it into Nate's face that his girlfriend had cheated on him and had dumped him. What she was happy about, however, was Tiffany's shocked look when she had seen the two of them together before it had been replaced by a look of anger. It had been part of her plan to make Alex's life miserable by dating Nate and she definitely had not expected them to become friends again so fast. _

_Needless to say, both she and Nate were happy when the day was done. They proceeded to walk home as they always did when a van stopped right beside them. And before she knew it, she felt a sharp pain on her head before the world around her faded to darkness…

* * *

_

**A/N: Please review!**


	13. Chapter 12

"You mean they were attacked?!" Mitchie stood rooted to the ground, her eyes wide with horror and fury. In front of her, Shane nodded grimly, waiting for her to get over her shock and watched as she narrowed her eyes at the possibility of who the attacker was. "Three guesses who," she mumbled.

Shane fought the urge to smile at her cuteness.

"It was the worst day of my life," a soft new yet familiar voice piped up from the doorway. Shane smiled at his younger brother as he beckoned the curly-haired teenager to enter the room, knowing that whatever had happened between them would be talked about later. All that mattered now was that Mitchie knew about their past. She was, after all, almost part of the family already.

_**Back to three years ago…**_

_Nate groaned as his head pounded. Man, that had hurt. Blinking slowly to focus his vision, he gasped in horror as his eyes widened at the sight he was seeing. He made to lunge forward towards the whimpering figure on the floor and cursed when he realized he was tied to a chair. Studying the figure curved like a ball in front of him, he studied it closely, hoping his suspicions as to who the figure belonged to was wrong. _

_Tears sprung his eyes as his prayers were not answered. There, in front of him, with her knees tugged closely to her chest with her small arms was Alex and she was in a terrible state. There were bruises all over face. Dried blood could be seen at the top right side of her forehead, which must have meant that she had hit something. The bruises, however, suggested a totally different thing. Nate growled. When he got out of there, he was going to kill those sadistic bastards who had abused his best friend. His Alex. _

"_Lexi?" He tried calling out to her, desperate for any type of response other than her rocking herself backward and forward on the ground. His first attempt was useless and so were the others. Alex was in her own world and she was oblivious to her surroundings. Not that he blamed her. She had been attacked and was traumatized. _

_He had seen her like this before. Except, without the bruises. It was when Alex was eleven and she had found out that her biological mother had not wanted to have anything to do with her. She had been devastated and disturbed and she had felt like she could trust no one in the world. And that was when Nick had realized the power of music and how much Alexandria Russo meant to him. And that was exactly what he needed to do now. Sing. _

_He took a deep breath before singing their song. _

_**You know when the sun forgets to shine**_

_**I'll be there to hold you through the night**_

_**And we'll be runnin' so fast we can fly tonight**_

_**And even when we're miles and miles apart**_

_**You're still holdin' all of my heart**_

_**I promise it will never be dark**_

_**I know... we're inseparable**_

_Nate watched with immense relief as Alex slowly responded to the song. She seemed to have been snapped out of some sort of trance when he was done singing. She looked around the room, examining it as though it was her first time and looking as though she was in her own nightmare. Her eyes widened as she saw her best friend and ran to him with such speed that made Nate want to question whether the bruises hurt her. _

_She immediately untied his ropes and hugged him as tightly as she could before letting him have some air. She avoided eye contact with Nate as she did so. As he felt the blood rushing through his wrists, he couldn't have been more thankful that the bad guys hadn't tied her up._

"_Tiffany's behind this."_

"_WHAT?!"_

"_She's planning this to get some revenge done on us. She's with her brother and he's five times your size."_

_He leaned towards her and didn't know what to think when her eyes widened and she jerked back a little. He traced his fingers over the bruises gently. It was killing him to see her so fragile and vulnerable. Oh, he was definitely gonna kill Tiffany and her brother. _

_Just as he was about to ask her what had happened to her, he heard the door open and felt his breath hitch when he took in the appearance of the new arrival. There in front of him stood Tiffany and her big brother, Eric. He was bigger and more sinister-looking than before. His crooked nose did nothing to soften his image. _

_Seeing the two of them near each other again, Tiffany rolled her eyes and motioned for her brother to tie Nate up again. Nate calmly followed orders, knowing that any sudden movement would scare Alex. Scoffing, Tiffany roughly grabbed a handful of Alex's hair and yanked her up. Nate made to move forward to hurt the bitch for hurting his best friend but soon felt a pain in his nose and a crimson liquid dripping from his fresh new wound on his face. He glared hatefully at Eric. _

"_You know, it's about time you start fighting back. Especially after the little love fest your best friend and I just had," Eric grinned maniacally. Nate's eyes widened at the implications of the words and he felt his heart beat faster. Oh god, please no. Not Alex. He was so lost in his thoughts he almost did not hear Eric's last sentence. "Of course, I was the only one enjoying it. She was such a prude."_

"_You bastard!" _

_He lunged himself at the big man and started punching Eric with all his might. He felt the older boy struggle to get up and kneed him in the knees to stop him from moving. Nate didn't know what had overcome him but he wanted to kill the guy. After what he did to Alex, it's what he deserves because with ever blow that bustard got, the more satisfied he became. _

_Tiffany let go of Alex and screamed as she tried to pry Nate off her brother. From beside her, Alex sobbed as she gasped for breath. Her eyes widened as she screamed at her best friend to stop. _

"_Nate, stop it! You're going to kill him!"_

_He didn't stop. He started punching Eric over and over again and only stopped when he felt a few pairs of strong arms around him and pulled him off his victim. _

**Present time with Mitchie, Shane and Nate…**

"Whoa."

Nate looked to the ground, ashamed that he still did not feel guilty for attacking Eric. The bustard had deserved everything he got.

"If the police hadn't arrived at that time, I think I would have killed him," he admitted softly.

Shane wrapped his arms around his brother as a gesture of comfort and motioned for Mitchie to join in. He was glad that Nate had finally talked.

**A/N: It's a little short but please review! And next chapter, Jason, Shane, Mitchie, Gabriella, Troy and Chad get into a little bit of trouble… **


	14. Chapter 13

Alex wept in her room all alone. She knew Mitchie had gone to Shane, no doubt confronting him about what had happened and Nate was only God knows where. Gabriella had left fifteen minutes ago with Jason with a smirk on her face that would have usually made Alex feel uncomfortable had she not been so shaken.

The fifteen-year-old choked back a sob as she played with the locket around her neck that contained a small picture of her family. What she had seen on Nate just a few hours ago had scared the crap out of her and she had needed to feel close to her parents. She had never seen the look on Nate's face since the unfortunate incident two years ago and what Shane had said must have really set him off.

Alex sighed as she took out a piece of envelope before she took a deep breath. She shakily opened the envelope, her eyes tearing up at the sight of her father's handwriting.

_My dear Princess,_

_I am so sorry, baby girl. Sorry that you're feeling alone and that you need to feel close to me and your mother. Sorry that I'm not there to comfort you. You have to understand Alex, that should I would have fought for my life just to see you again. Unfortunately, if you're reading this letter, it means that I lost the battle. _

_Lexi, there are so many things that I want you to know. But first of all, I want you to know that you are the most beautiful girl in the world. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you and your biological mother is very unfortunate for not having the chance to get to know you. You have to remember, Alex, that there is nothing wrong with you. You're my angel. _

_You brought me and Maria together. You were the one who calmed the boys down and cheered them up after they were rejected by the record label. You've always been there for anyone who needed you and you always will be. I am so proud of you. _

_Another thing you should know, Alex, is that you're the granddaughter of billionaire, Frances Russo. Remember how you used to joke that he could be related to us? Well, he is. Or at least, he was. He disowned me when he found out that I got his best friends' little girl pregnant. I grew up with the rich, baby girl, and trust me, it is not all fun and games. We have reps to protect and I guess having a baby girl at the age of 18 was not his idea of a respectable reputation. _

_I don't blame you, honey. In fact, to tell you the truth, it was a relief to get out of there. I was finally free. Of course I had to work my butt off but it was worth it. You know why? Because each day after work, I would come to the manor and you would be in your crib, sleeping peacefully or giving Denise a hard time. And as you grow older, I realized that I have accomplished more than my father ever did. I became a dad who is always around for his child._

_And last of all, I love you so much, Alexandria. Every year I change this letter and every year it gets even harder for me to end it. You're my little girl, Alex, and you always will be. _

_Love,_

_Your father_

_P.S. _

_Young hearts,  
__I believe that we are not far  
__From becoming who we truly are  
__Love is on its way_

_Dreamers,  
__You see everything in color  
__While the world is getting darker  
__Love is on its way_

_So hold on another day  
__Cuz love is on its way  
__You'll find it's gonna be okay  
__Cuz loves is on its way  
__It's alright, you'll find a brighter day  
__Cuz love is on its way_

_P.P.S. You are not allowed to date until you are at least 50 years old! OW! Maria just hit my head for writing that! OW! Ypur mother is an abusive woman! OW!!!_

Alex laughed at the last sentence as she wiped the tears off her face. Typical Dad. And then, as she read the letter again, especially the part about her grandfather, she voiced out the only two words in her mind.

"Holy crap."

**Through the Ups and Downs**

The next day, Gabriella sighed as she watched her sister play with her food and smiled sympathetically at Nate when Alex avoided looking at him. Alex was hiding something from her too, that was for sure but she would wait until her baby sister was ready to talk to her to find out. And anyway, it was all going to be okay soon. After all, the guys and her had come up with a plan to cheer the youngsters up. It had been Troy's plan, of course.

Troy. She found herself smiling as she thought about him. There was definitely something different about him. It's like he had changed from the first meeting. He was nicer to her now and he made her feel special when he was not replying her comments with his own smart-ass ones. And he could be quite charming too.

She snapped herself out of her thoughts. She was not complimenting Troy freakin' Bolton.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to say something, she immediately closed them when she saw the rest of the gang, except Troy, Shane, Mitchie and Jason, came to sit with them or at the table beside them. Gabriella grinned. Plan 'Cheer the youngsters up' was a go.

"So, Nate. Wanna play a game?" she smirked when she knew that Nate had caught on that she was up to something. The young fifteen-year-old narrowed his eyes at her.

"What game?"

"Well, you have to clear your mind first. Then when I ask you a question, you have to answer the first thing that comes to your mind. You only have a second to think. Got it?"

"Isn't this the game that Phoebe played with Joey and Joey then played it with Chandler and Chandler had ended up getting in trouble fore it in one of the episodes from Friends?" Nate did not like where this was going. Gabriella was up to something and by the look on their faces, the rest of the gang knew too. All of them did, apparently, except Alex. She was still trying to avoid looking at him.

"Well… Yes, but at least Chandler told the truth, right?"

Nate rolled his eyes.

"Even if I said no, you'll still get me to play, right?" he groaned helplessly. Gabriella ginned triumphantly as Alex giggled softly. It was loud enough for Nate to hear though and the fact that she was laughing was what made him agree to the game.

"Alright. Black or blue?"

"Black."

"Coffee or tea?"

"Neither."

"Shane or Jason?"

"Neither."

"Gabriella or Alex?"

"Alex."

Gabriella pouted and Nate shrugged. Alex patted her sister's hand comfortingly.

"I'll ignore that for now. I mean, it's obvious I'm the more likable sister. You're just emotionally upset now. Ow!" She glared at the innocent-looking Alex. "Moving on. Clear your mind again. Who's dumber? Troy or Chad?"

"Chad."

"Hey!"

"Which is cuter? A baby pig or a puppy?"

"A puppy."

"Which is better? A cafeteria full of whip cream or of butter."

"Whip cream. Duh."

"Principal Matsui or Darbus?"

"Darbus. Hate that old hag."

"Alrighty then. 5…4…3…2…1… NOW!"

"Mr. Danforth!"

All heads whipped to the front of the cafeteria where Ms. Darbus was looked like she was ready to kill. Gulping rather loudly as she neared the table, poor Chad tried in vain to hide behind petite and small Kelsi.

"What is the meaning of this, Danforth?" Wow, she wasn't one to beat around the bush. She slammed a few pieces of paper onto the table and glared at the afro-haired African-American teenager. Chad swore he could see the steam coming out of her ears. The gang crowded around the table and gaped at Chad when they saw his essay.

_Name: Chad Danforth_

_Title of Essay: How retards behave_

_Jktheoithethohtgbjrshtowerthiehjthoeklsdbjfhgowiroqrkhdstho4wiejolknglkhpiwejgh082840thgdjksjsoayurhngewfgout0epjghnjgreopwwkjthyuiowpalmcvnbghrui3578902pqkdkloeirthfjdkslljrgtyu8r9ewpa;lsmndbfhjdspalsdnfbtgy89wpalsmnvhjfruieopsls,mdnftgyruieopsftbfnmsleyruidopslkejbtnfdxlpsodejhrg5yeiowlskdncbnxmksdjrhyuieoolsdnfbcnxmzlserjhtufickxmndbgfhjkslpowihgsdxbnfmglovicusgebfnmlc;xpxsoiuegrvfcbnxm,sl;weo4iuyhrfdnsmkleriufhnt6greywuiopsdl,dmfnhfdjskloe40orijtfndsmledkrifhnxm,sleoihfndmslolerjhfgbcnxmxsldekjrhtrujeikwp;lsaprhanJSKNFIWRJNLnfskjweo;;ls,mx,dfngtyrueiwksmxjethqeowbfnjaosbtnsdmiqwrdfharneklhqewnuwthqw308turjng dm,_

_That's how they behave. Exactly like me. _

_Goodbye._

From across the table, Chad glared at Alex who had at least had the audacity to look guilty and sheepish. He had 'accidentally' thrown his basketball onto Ms. Darbus' head two days ago. She had been so pissed at him that she had actually asked him if he was just plain retarded. To say that the class was shocked could have been the understatement of the century. So, as punishment, Chad had had to write an essay on how he was not going to do things without thinking any longer and the project was due the next day. He went to the first person he could find and begged Alex to help him since he had a date with Taylor in an hour. Alex, who had been mad at Chad for some reason, found the perfect way to have her revenge and had smiled at him, telling him she would be glad to finish it for him.

Just as Ms. Darbus was about to shout at him for handing in the piece of crap as her punishment essay, a loud bark was heard. Yes, a bark. Not for the first time that day, the students looked at the entrance of the cafeteria only to rub or widen their eyes when they saw two big hounds there. Beside those hounds, Troy Bolton kneeled in between them with his trademark smirk.

"BOLTON! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Her attention no longer on Chad, she marched to the dirty-blonde haired basketball player. Just as she was halfway there, troy released the hounds and they ran towards her. Frightened out of her wits at dogs she didn't know would not bite, Alyson Darbus, Head of the Drama department at East High, gave a high-pitched scream that would hurt anyone's ears as she bolted out of the cafeteria. The students looked on in shocked silence before bursting into laughter.

Shane, Mitchie and Jason came up to the gang and sat down, secretive smiles on their faces that made the rest of the gang except Gabriella and Troy.

"Hey Lexi?"

"Yes, Jason?"

"Happy Birthday!"

"Umm, Jason? It ain't my birthday. It's not for another three months."

"Alright then, Happy birthday in advance, then!"

"What are you – JASON KEVIN GREY!!!" Alex shrieked as Jason pulled out a can of whip cream and sprayed some of the white edible foam into Alex's face. From the sidelines, the gang watched in either shock or amusement.

"Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy birthday!"

"Oh. Crap."

"Food fight!" Kelsi and Taylor screamed as Mitchie handed Nate another can of whipped cream and the rest of the gang got handed theirs. Less than two hours later, said gang could be seen scrubbing the cafeteria floors with toothbrushes, all tension gone as they worked with content smiles on their faces.

* * *

**A/n: Not my best but I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!**


	15. Chapter 14

Three weeks have passed since the recent food fight and Chad Danforth and Troy Bolton were bored, she could just sense it. Mitchie groaned as she thought about the possibility of how bad their next prank was bound to be. The last time that happened, she remembered Principal Matsui losing his cool for the first time ever and she could have sworn that there had been smoke coming out of his ears. Then again, she had been eight and Dragon Tales had been her favorite show at the time so her imagination had been a little, if not a lot, wild.

"Mitch? You okay?"

Startled out her thoughts, she smiled softly as Shane sat down beside her. Moving her books from the table, she gave a dramatic gasp as he loaded a few books onto the wooden table and began flipping the pages of a very thick book. Rolling his eyes at her feigned shock, he ignored her and continued searching for what he was searching for. He huffed when she gave another dramatic (and very loud) gasp and looked up from his books to give her the 'What?' look.

"Shane Grey is in the library? Someone call CNN!"

Shane pouted and sighed. "Make fun of me all you want Bolton. I just need a little peace and quiet since Zeke and the guys are over in my room. I went over to Nate's and he and Alex are writing another song together. I don't think I should bother Jason, he's been a little preoccupied with something he just won't tell me about and I can't go to Gabriella's because well, her room is a room full of girls and I've learnt to never barge in on girls. Alex suggested that I come here to study since it's quiet. I just really need to pass this Geometry test or Gabriella and Jason would kill me."

Mitchie winced. She had been there when Gabriella and Jason had teamed up to get Shane to study once and she was glad that it wasn't her. It had taken Nate and Alex thirty minutes for them to finally leave Shane alone after compromising that Shane had to pass his tests and they'd get off his back.

"Yeah. I totally get what you mean. It must be tough," she laughed.

"Tough? The last time I failed a test, Gabriella read me a whole chapter of Twilight. Out of all the books she could read, she read me a supernatural version of Romeo and Juliet! Do you know how traumatizing that is?" he waved his hands around in the air and grabbed his hair for an exaggerated effect. Mitchie, used to his antics by now, laughed harder before trying in vain to laugh softer when the librarian gave her a stern look from the counter.

"You need help?"

"No offense, Mitch, but how exactly will you know how to do my questions? I am two years ahead of you," he reminded her. Mitchie rolled her eyes.

"You do know I'm in Advanced Math, right?"

"By two years?"

"Yes, Shane, by two years."

And so she grabbed the book from her astonished friend and started concentrating on the problem he was having difficulty with. Just thirteen seconds later, Shane spoke.

"Mitchie?"

"Yes, Shane?"

"You're a freak!"

She gasped loudly before hitting him with the heavy book. Laughing softly, he watched her go back to the math question he was having trouble with and admired the way she looked when she studied. Her eyebrows creased with concentration, her hand tightly holding the pen and her beautiful hair caressed her face. Shane had never thought that anyone could look so beautiful.

From the doorway of the library, Alex Russo smirked as she high-fived Gabriella while Nate rolled his eyes before handing over five bucks to each of the girls. Troy Bolton scowled as he continued watching his sister with the middle Grey brother.

"I told you he'd end up studying her and not the subject!"

Alex ended up smiling sheepishly when Troy glared at her for her remark.

* * *

A few hours later, Gabriella and Troy found themselves alone on her room as Nate and Alex had to finish writing their song and Jason had to meet someone from school.

"You do know you're going to have to let Mitchie date someone eventually, right?" Gabriella asked softly and fought her laughter down as Troy got up from her computer chair in lightning speed, only to end up hitting his leg against the computer table. Troy narrowed his eyes at her for suggesting such an atrocious idea.

"She's not going to date until she's 50," he said in a 'matter-of-fact' voice that made Gabriella snort. He actually believed that he could keep Mitchie away from guys until she turned fifty! Ha!

"Troy, she's a beautiful girl. You can't keep guys away from her forever! And anyway, there's bound to be one who won't be afraid of you and who loves her too much to let you get in the way," she put her hands on her hips, looking like reprimanding mother.

"Hate to break it to you, Gabs, but that ship has sailed. That guy has already arrived. Stupid Shane," he mumbled. Gabriella's eyes widened as she stepped in front of him with a serious look on her face.

"You think Shane's the one for her?"

Troy sighed as he closed his eyes to prevent the oncoming tears from falling. Yes, he thought Shane was the one for her. And he hated that because he knew that Shane would be the number one guy for his sister now. Shane would be the guy who treated her sister better than he did and he hated that. As he voiced his fears out to Gabriella, he became aware of the fact that she had made him sit down and had looked at him with genuine interest.

"He looks at her the way my Dad used to look at Lucille."

* * *

East High was a school where cliques were formed according to their different talents and that is how friends were made. However, ever since the gang entered high school, things had been a little different. Troy, Chad and Zeke had joined the basketball team the moment they entered the school and had made it quite clear who the bosses were. Taylor had joined the nerds and Kelsi, Ryan and Sharpay had joined the Drama group.

Imagine the other students' surprise when they found a group of jocks, a nerd and drama geeks sitting together at the same table, laughing and eating together. Jeremiah masters had stormed to their table and demanded that Troy, Chad and Zeke sit with the other team members instead of with the nerd or the drama geeks. Needless to say, Sharpay had been so angry that Jeremiah Masters went home with a black eye and lost dignity at having been punched so hard by a girl.

It was that day that Troy and the others had made it clear that the kids from the orphanage stuck together and in a way, it was because of them that the cliques broke. So, when Mitchie joined them in the cafeteria after her Advanced Math and Music class, no one complained or dared to tell her to sit somewhere else because they knew that no one messed with Troy Bolton's little sister. Because if you messed with her, you messed with an overprotective older brother and his friends who considered her their own sister. Unfortunately for Jeremiah Masters though, he had been the example of someone who messed with Mitchie.

However, it had been a shock when Gabriella, Alex, Nate, Shane and Jason joined the gang. And again, it was Jeremiah Masters who had been an example that no one messed with them either. He went home with three punches on his face that day. One on his right cheek, another on the left and well, he broke his nose. What made this attack different though was that the punches had been from the Grey brothers instead of Troy.

And Jeremiah Masters swore that he would one day get his revenge for the humiliation he went through. He smirked as he spotted the person he was look for and walked over casually to him before dragging him into the nearby toilet.

"What the hell?"

"Did you get it?" Jeremiah asked eagerly as he held out his hands. It reminded the other person of a dos waiting to be fed. The other guy rolled his eyes and took out a packet of cigarettes.

"Well done, Jason. I never thought you had it in you," Jeremiah smirked as he lighted his first cigarette that day.

Jason sighed as he ran his hand through his unkempt hair, feeling like a total loser for smuggling cigarettes for the second time in his life.

**A/N: There you have it folks! Chapter 14! Be sure to review if you want to get the next chapter by Friday!**


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Just a little thank you note to my reviewers who have been there for me from the start and those who have just recently read this… Thank you for reviewing and story and author alerting! You guys rock! **

* * *

_One year ago…_

_Jason closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation he was feeling as he sucked in the smoke from the cigarette. How could he have been so foolish not to have tried that good stuff in the first place? He glanced at his friends as they drank the beer they had got a homeless guy to buy for them. Now, this was the life. _

_For the past two months since he met Drake Fallon, he had started enjoying life more than he ever did. For the first time in his life, he had friends who weren't Gabriella, Alex or his band mates. For the first time in his life, he felt like he could do anything. For the first time in his life, he felt free._

_Hearing light footsteps get louder, he put out the cigarette and tried to wave off the stench while his friends tried drunkenly to get rid of their bottles. His eyes widened when Alex came into view and felt like melting into the ground when she dragged him by the ear as his friends laughed at him, too drunk to follow. _

"_Let go of me, Alex!"_

"_Just shut up, okay, Jason? Just shut up!" she shrieked and he rolled his eyes at her, giving her the attitude he had been giving everyone else who weren't his friends. Seeing his irritated look, Alex hit him on the head. "Are you crazy or just plain stupid? What if your family or Gabriella or Maria, for that matter, see you?" _

"_We're in a school Alex. And besides, you are not allowed to enter the boys' bathroom by the way. You shouldn't even be in a high school," he pointed out and winced when she hit him on the head again. Giving him a glare, she hit him another time._

"_You are such a jerk! I can't believe you forgot about biggest day of Shane's life!" _

"_What are you -." His eyes widened as realization dawned onto him. Crap. Today was Shane's first performance. The band had been practicing so hard for the past 3 months so that Shane could perform his best at the school's annual talent show. According to their principal, there would be college scouts from different prestigious schools looking out for the most talented performers. Shane had seen it as his only opportunity to get to college and had been training hard ever since. "Oh."_

"_Yeah. Oh. We'll talk about your stupidity and the importance of not smoking later. Right now, the whole family's in the audience and the band is waiting for you. Shane's going to kill you if you don't turn up. Now GO!" she screamed the last word. As she watched Jason sprint out of sight, she shook her head and massaged her forehead. She knew Shane was not going to be performing in the next twenty minutes but she had to get Jason to the band for him to get ready. And deep down, though she would never admit it, she was hoping that somebody would smell the smoky stench Jason was giving off. _

"_Dude?! Where the hell have you been?" _

_Jason apologized through gritted teeth as he was handed his guitar. He had managed to escape Gabriella when she had met him at the entrance of the theatre but he was not going to escape his brothers. When he heard a sharp intake of breath, he turned concernedly to Nate to make sure his brother was not having a diabetic attack. When he saw that it was not Nate, but Shane, who had drew his breath, he felt his heart beat faster. Had he been found out? _

"_Umm… Guys? Could you give Jason, Nate and I a few minutes? Fam –"_

"_Family meeting. Got it," Garrett Crayson, their drummer, rolled his eyes as he marched out of the room with the other band mates not far behind him. When he was sure no one was eavesdropping, Shane punched his older brother. _

"_Shane! What's wrong with you, man?" Nate exclaimed as he rushed to Jason's side to help his brother. With his nose bleeding, Jason looked at the floor ashamedly, making it difficult for Nate to examine it. When he finally saw the state his brother was in, Nate's eyes widened as he rounded onto Shane. "Fuck Shane! You broke his nose!" _

"_How long?" Shane growled, taking no notice of Nate. _

"_How long what?" the curly-haired youngest Grey asked. _

"_Not you, him! How long have you been smoking, Jason?" _

_Nate drew a sharp intake of breath as he stopped fussing over Jason in shock. He wanted to defend Jason immediately but the guilty look on Jason's face prevented him from doing so. Jason mumbled something under his breath, and only repeated when Shane glared at him harder. _

"_Two months."_

"_Since that Drake bustard became friends with you. You are such an idiot, Jason!" Nate barked as he positioned himself in between his two older brothers in case he needed to stop them from fighting. They had five minutes till it was their turn to perform and anyone could be coming in at any second. _

_Shane angrily rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a packet of cigarettes before throwing them at Jason's face, causing the oldest brother to flinch and then touch his cheek while Nate concernedly rushed forward to see the damage done. _

"_I found them in your room yesterday. I also saw the photos of you guys smoking in Drake's phone. Why, Jason?" Shane asked softly, disappointed at his brother. _

_"Because it makes me feel good, okay?"_

_A small head poked itself into their room and told them to get out there before she noticed Jason's wounds. When she offered to help by delaying their time, Shane stopped her and told her to just give them at least ten more minutes. She nodded and raced out of the room, shouting in harsh whispers to the people outside as she did so. _

"_That's okay. I'll be the only one performing. Can I get an acoustic guitar instead, please?" _

_Jason once again looked to the floor in shame. Shane grabbed his cell phone and began typing a few words before passing it to Nate and left the room in awkward silence. Nate gently pulled Jason by the wrist. _

"_C'mon. Let's get you cleaned up. We might be able to make it for Shane's show and know what he's up to."_

_As Jason and Nate left the room to get some ice for his face, Jason managed to read the message Gabriella had sent Shane. _

_Your brother smells like smoke. Put on more perfume and we'll talk to him at home later. _

_His heart beat faster and felt unshed tears stinging his eyes. They had all suspected and known and they had waited for him to stop by himself. And he realized, if he hadn't stopped, they would have made him. _

_They managed to get to the auditorium in time and sat behind their parents, Alex and Gabriella. Thanks to the dark lights, his parents and godparents hadn't spotted a change and their eyes were only on and for Shane. _

"_And now, Shane Grey!"_

_Loud applause and whistles followed after that and Jason felt a sense of pride and annoyance towards his brother. Pride because his brother was popular and annoyance because he knew he could never get the same support as Shane. _

_On stage, Shane sat down on a stool with an acoustic guitar in his hands. When he had finally settled down, he spoke into the microphone before singing._

"_This song is called 'Save You' and the original band was Simple Plan. I'll be performing the acoustic version today. So, let's make some noise people!" he screamed charismatically to the audience and got the response that he needed. When he was satisfied, his eyes searched for Jason and he strummed the guitar while looking at his brother with pain-filled eyes. _

_**Take a breath I pull myself together  
**__**Just another step until I reach the door  
**__**You'll never know the way  
**__**it tears me up inside to see you **_

_**Ooh Ooh  
**__**I wish that I could tell you something  
**__**Ooh Ooh  
**__**To take it all away **_

_**Sometimes I wish I could save you  
**__**And there's so many things that I want you to know  
**__**I won't give up til it's over  
**__**If it takes you forever I want you to know **_

_**When I hear your voice it's drowning in the whispers  
**__**You're just skin and bones  
**__**There's nothing left to take and no matter what I do  
**__**I can't make you feel better **_

_**Ooh Ooh  
**__**If only I could find the answer  
**__**Ooh Ooh  
**__**To help me understand **_

_**Sometimes I wish I could save you  
**__**And there's so many things that I want you to know  
**__**I won't give up til it's over  
**__**If it takes you forever I want you to know that  
**__**If you fall, stumble down  
**__**I'll pick you up off the ground  
**__**If you lose faith in you  
**__**I'll give you strength to pull through  
**__**Tell me you won't give up  
**__**Cause I'll be waiting if you fall you know  
**__**I'll be there for you **_

_**Ooh Ooh  
**__**If only I could find the answer  
**__**Ooh Ooh  
**__**To take it all away **_

_**Sometimes I wish I could save you  
**__**And there's so many things that I want you to know  
**__**I won't give up til it's over  
**__**If it takes you forever I want you to know  
**__**I wish I could save you  
**__**I want you to know  
**__**I wish I could save you **_

_As the performance came to an end, Jason saw Gabriella frantically looking for her phone before she opened the new text she just got. What the text said made Jason freeze on the spot. _

_You're right. We have to save him._

_

* * *

_  
**A/N: Please review? :)**


	17. Chapter 16

_One year ago..._

_"I don't need saving," he hissed when his brother and him were alone in their room after the talent show that day. Beside him, he felt Shane stiffen before the younger teenager gave an exasperated sigh. Looking apologetically at his brother, he opened the door to reveal his parents and godparents and stepped out of the room before closing the door. He pressed his ear against it and found himself beside Gabriella, Alex and Nate who smiled sheepishly._

_Inside the room, Jason gulped when his parents and Jerry looked ready to shout at him but he knew that the 'be calm' looks from his godmother were preventing them from doing so. When he finally couldn't take it anymore, he looked at Maria for help. Maria smiled at him sadly and motioned for him to sit down._

_"Jason, we know what you've been up to and –"_

_"YOU'RE MAKING A MISTAKE!"_

_Jason jumped a little and felt his heart race at his mother's outburst. His mother, who was always so gentle and never shouted, had just done to him. She was pissed and her face was red. Beside her, his father was rubbing her shoulders and was glaring at him. Jerry stood beside him in case he needed protection._

_"Denise, calm down. We have to talk things through calmly and –"_

_"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! JASON KEVIN GREY! I HAVE RAISED YOU BETTER THAN THIS! IF I EVER CATCH YOU SMOKING MYSELF, I WILL MUDER YOU! HOW DARE YOU BRING CIGARETTES AND ALCAHOL INTO THIS HOUSE?!" she screamed at him._

_Something inside him burst as he snapped back at her._

_"I DON'T KNOW MOM! WHY DON'T YOU ASK MARIA OR ALEX? THEY LIVED WITH ONE!" he screamed back at her._

_Outside, Alex felt the tears in her eyes and buried her face into Gabriella's chest. Nate and Shane were still listening with unbelievingly looks on their faces. Inside, Denise stepped back in shock as Maria put her face into her hands as sobs wrecked his body. Jerry put his arms around his wife and looked at Jason with disappointment in his eyes. Kevin Grey steadied his wife and glared at his son._

_"How dare you? Apologize. NOW!" he hissed. Too proud to do so, he went for his escape when he heard the car horn, signaling that his friends were finally there. Jason walked straight to the door and wrenched it open and drew a sharp intake of breath when he saw Alex weeping and Gabriella and his brother's hate-filled eyes. He shook his head apologetically at them and ran down the stairs, aware of his parent's screams._

_"Don't you walk away!"_

_As he marched out of the mansion in anger, he heard the loud banging on the door and prayed that he would be forgiven as he hopped into Drake's car, knowing that things would never be the same again._

_A few minutes after they had left, Jason told Drake to pull over and was surprised when his friend refused._

_"Pull over, Drake. I don't want to go to the party," he said sternly and felt himself grow scared when Drake laughed sinisterly._

_"Sorry, dude. You're in my car. You follow my rules." His breath stank of alcohol and Jason gulped. He tried again._

_"Drake, let me out. Now," he said fearfully. Again, Drake laughed and this time, increased the speed of the car. Jason tried to stop the drunk maniac by grabbing the steering wheel. Drake pushed him away. As he tried one more time to get the drunkard to stop, he failed to notice the traffic light had gone red and an incoming truck was driving into Drake's side. The last thing Jason remembered was screaming and then, everything went dark._

* * *

_He was in a white room. The walls were white, the ceiling and so was the floor. Around him, familiar voices spoke._

_"Don't leave me, Jason." Mom, so loving._

_"C'mon, son. You can pull through." Dad, so strong._

_"Jason, please don't leave me like my mommy did." Gabriella, so fragile._

_"Honey, you have to fight." Maria, so forgiving._

_"I don't know what I'd do without you, Jase. Please, wake up." Shane, so lost._

_"C'mon, Jason. You have to get up. We still have not gone on our fishing trip." Jerry, so hopeful._

_"Wake up, Jason. You promised you'd never leave me alone. Open your eyes." Alex, so broken._

_"You're my brother, Jase. I love you. Please wake up." Nate, so emotional._

_I am awake, he wanted to scream. But he couldn't. He couldn't talk, he couldn't smell. All he could do was listen. Was this his punishment for betraying everyone he ever truly loved? Well, if that was it, then he sure deserved it._

_They had been right after all. Drake was the cause of his problems and Drake would one day hurt him. And he had. Jason sighed. Next time, his family came before anything else. Especially his friends._

_As he embraced this, he felt himself flying before hearing the rapid beeping of a monitor. His eyes flew open and closed as instantly and the next thing he remembered was black. Again._

* * *

_It took three days for him to finally gain consciousness and when he did, he almost cried in relief and happiness when he found his family around him. All eight of them were with him and he couldn't be more thankful. By silent agreement, none of them talked about the accident until Jason asked them._

_"What about Drake? Is he okay?"_

_Silence. Slowly, Maria took his hand gently and squeezed it tight while his mother wrapped her arms around him. And when Maria told him about his friend, he felt the world stop._

_"I'm sorry, honey. Drake… didn't make it. He died on impact."_

_And everything went black again._

A/N: Review! And I might update again tomorrow for the chapter has already been written... It just needs to be editted... Review!

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	18. Chapter 17

Present time…

Jason jumped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder and scowled. Troy laughed as he took his usual seat behind his friend and raised his eyebrow suspiciously when Jason shifted uncomfortably in his seat as soon as Jeremiah Masters entered the classroom. Beside him, he saw that Gabriella had narrowed her eyes at the school bully and knew that she had caught onto something. Oh, the advantage of being a genius. You know what is wrong with your loved ones immediately and you get to sit in the same classroom as them because you're a year ahead. Nodding at Gabriela to tell her he understood, he turned his attention to the teacher. He really did not need to fail Chemistry. After all, he had chemistry with his partner. Okay. Cheesy much?

"He smells of smoke," Gabriella hissed softly as she began preparing the chemicals and the different apparatus needed for the experiment they needed to do. Confused as to who she might be referring to, Troy looked at her questioningly. Irritated by how slow her friend was, Gabriella rolled her eyes as she jerked her head towards Jason. Eyes widening, Troy leaned forward and found that his roommate did, indeed, smell like smoke.

Frowning when he saw that Gabriella was shaking with anger, he gently took the beaker out of her hands and made her sit down.

"I'll do it today," he said softly, knowing that Gabriella was in no state of mind to handle any chemicals. She smiled at him thankfully and glared at Jason when he turned to talk to them. Unpleasantly surprised by her sudden hostility, the oldest Grey brother went back to his own experiment.

Troy sighed as he poured the hydrochloric acid into the beaker. This was going to be a long day…

* * *

Mitchie watched as Gabriella gave Jason another glare while the other three siblings stood behind the two awkwardly. The two teenagers were having a heated conversation and Mitchie did not like the way it was going. She did not know what was going on but clearly, neither did the rest except Troy who had a grim face instead of a confused one. She watched on as the conversation got more heated and gasped when Gabriella launched herself onto Jason.

Now, while Gabriella was a petite teenager, she was by no means, a weak one. It took Troy, Nate and Shane to pull her off Jason. It would have been easier, though, if Jason had been fighting back but he wasn't. It seemed to Mitchie like he thought that he deserved what he was getting.

When Gabriella was finally pulled away from him, she slapped him hard across the face.

"You selfish idiot. I hate you!" she screamed before running out of the school with tears streaming down her face. Troy sighed as he gave Jason a sympathetic smile before racing after Gabriella. As Jason made to get up, Alex shook her head at him with tears in her eyes.

"How could you?" Her voice was so soft, so broken that Mitchie wanted nothing more than to comfort her best friend. Jason shook his head as his own tears threatened to spill over.

"Because I can't lose all of you."

And with that, Jason Grey left his brothers and Alex behind and walked away from them. Feeling the need to go after him, Mitchie tried to be as discreet as possible when she went after him only to feel a sharp pain on her head three minutes later when she arrived in a dark alley and everything went black.

* * *

"Gabby? You okay?"

Gabriella looked up at her friend with such pain-filled eyes that all Troy wanted to do was hug her. And he did. Wrapping his arms around her, he let her cry as much as she needed to.

"He promised he'd stop. After Drake died, he promised to stop," she sobbed. Troy stroke her hair as she told him all about Drake and the rebel Jason had been the year before. And as Troy held her, they both failed to notice Shane at the doorway of their spot with a sad smile on his face. He left Gabriella alone, knowing that the gir he considered his sister was in good hands.

* * *

"Prove yourself."

The two words Jason had never wanted to hear were said. This was it. He was going to be one of them. He was going to be a part of the junkies. His heart beat faster as Jeremiah sliced his own hand with a pocket knife and handed the sharp object to Jason, expecting him to do the same. Jason gulped and Jeremiah smirked. Around him, his other friends laughed.

"Jason. Jason. Jason. We had a deal, remember? Or do I have to remind you?" he grinned sadistically as Brandon Pole, another one of the goons, came into the dark alley carrying a fragile body. Jason's eyes widened as the familiar brunette was laid in front of him. As he knelt beside Mitchie, he felt tears threaten to spill over and massive hatred towards Jeremiah and his gang.

"Why me?" he cried as he clutched the brunette closer to his chest and glared hatefully at Jeremiah. Jeremiah smirked as he leaned closer to Jason and whispered into his ear.

"Because you messed with the wrong person."

* * *

_Dear Jason, _

_Honey, your father and I love you and your brothers so much. You are the reason we stayed strong even when your grandparents disowned us. We love you, Jase. Never forget that. _

_Another thing you need to know is that you're forgiven. Jason, everyone makes mistakes. The key is to learn from them. I forgave you a long time ago for the cigarette and alcohol incident and so has everybody else. The only person who has to forgive you now is yourself. I'm your mother, Jason. I know you too well. Forgive yourself, and you'll find that there is so much more to the world than the darkness surrounding you. _

_Protect your siblings, Jason. And you know I include Gabriella and Alex too. Shane is fragile and emotional. He's bound to be angry at us for leaving him. Nate's going to try to be strong for Alex and Alex will be strong for him. Gabriella is going to stay strong for all of you although we both know that Shane would get to her eventually. You're the man of the family now, Jason, but that doesn't mean that you have to handle everything alone. _

_Your father, Jerry, Maria and I are no longer around to look out for all of you. You be the protector, Jason. Protect your siblings from harm. And if you do meet anyone else in the future worthy enough to be your younger sister just like Alex and Gabriella are, protect her too. Family ties are formed by love not blood. _

_Protect them, Jason. Family comes first. _

_I love you. Never forget that. _

_Love,_

_Your mother_

_P.S. If you ever do smoke or drink again, I will personally come down there to haunt you for the rest of your life, you understand? I love you.

* * *

_

**A/N: Please review and make me feel loved? Haha... Next chapter will be up asap... In the mean time... REVIEW!!!**


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N: Sorry this one's a little short. But the next one shall be up by Sunday or Monday the latest. So, please guys, review so that i will be motivated to write faster! :p**

"Troy. Chad. Out. Now. I need to speak to Jason alone."

Mitchie's sudden outburst and her loud entrance caused Chad to fall off his bed, Troy to hit his head on the bunk bed and Jason to almost drop his guitar. Standing up to save the little dignity he had left, Troy narrowed his eyes at his little sister while Jason helped Chad up. His eyes never leaving her face, Jason shook his head to silently tell her that he did not want to talk about it. Mitchie chose to ignore him.

"You can't tell us to leave! This is our room!"

Mitchie rolled her eyes and stared at her brother while he stared back. Already knowing who the staring contest winner would be, Chad sighed and patted Jason on his back sympathetically before striding out of the room. Not being able to take it any longer, Troy blinked and scowled when he saw Mitchie smirking at him. He looked from his sister to Jason.

"Should I be worried?" he asked uncertainly. Jason gulped and was about to reply but Mitchie cut him off.

"I'll let you know. Now, goodbye," she waved in a fake cheery voice after dragging Troy out of the room. When she was sure, or thought that she was, that her brother or Chad was not eavesdropping, she folded her arms across her chest and waited for Jason to explain himself.

"What?"

The teenager rolled her eyes and smacked him on his head before she motioned for him to sit down. Rejecting her offer, Jason glared at her, suddenly angry that she was bossing him around when he had just saved her life. Mitchie huffed in annoyance.

"Let's see. I was knocked out while I was following you and the next thing I know, I'm in your arms and you're crying and Jeremiah Masters has his palm slit open. The next thing I know, you slice your own hand and u two press your palms together. What is going on, Jason? And what did you tell my dumb brother and his best friend about your bandaged hand?"

"It's your fault you followed me in the first place. You could have just stay put like a good little girl but noooo… you just had to follow me and now, look at the mess you've gotten into!" They were both glaring at each other now and each of them were seriously determined to win the argument. Mitchie put her hands on her hips and took a step closer to him.

"My fault?! You're the one who became blood brothers with Jeremiah Masters! You're the one who's smoking and drinking and you're the one who is –"

"Protecting all of you! And for you information, I do not smoke. I just stink of it because those junkies smoke and drink way too much around me."

"How is being blood brothers with Jeremiah Masters and being around people who smoke and drink protecting us? And what are you protecting us from anyway?"

Stubbornly, Jason stopped arguing with her and realized that he had revealed too much. He shook his head at the fuming teenager and walked out of his room with his guitar, ignoring the calls from Mitchie for him to come back. Blindly, he made his way to the orphanage's deserted garden and sat down before he started strumming his guitar.

He was feeling so many emotions that he had to let it all out. And Jason Grey let his emotions out by playing the guitar. He strummed gently, thinking of his parents and siblings before strumming the guitar faster and harder as anger and frustration took over him at the thought of Jeremiah and Mitchie. Anger at Jeremiah for causing his family to hate him and at Mitchie for endangering her life just to spy on him. Occasionally, he would just come up with random poems and sing it to the tune of the guitar.

_I want to tell you,_

_What's been going on,_

_But it's just so hard to. _

_Cause I know you'd hate me,_

_And I can't bear that,_

_I'm not strong enough to endure your tears,_

_But it's for your life I fear. _

And just like that, he felt better. Although, he did know that the feeling was not going to last long.

* * *

How dare he? How dare he just leave her standing in his room like an idiot. Mitchie muttered angrily as she stormed past the halls and into other students, causing them to scamper to their dormitories, afraid of being a victim of Mitchie Torres-Bolton's ridiculous fury.

She pushed the doors of Gabriella's dorm open and was pleased that the whole gang was there except for Jason, Zeke and Taylor. Mitchie vaguely remembered that Zeke had planned on baking a surprise cake for Sharpay on their anniversary while Taylor had some volunteer admins to do. As soon as she was in the room, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her.

"Jason's joined Jeremiah's gang," she blurted, knowing that she would regret squealing later but right now, she just didn't give a damn.

* * *

**A/N: Please review if you want another update in 1, 2 or 3 days... Please review? **

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	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to babiixilyx3, utmy123 and zanessa14 who reviewed the last chapter and helped me get my reviews number to 100! Thank you so much! This one's for you guys!**

* * *

_Previously…_

"_Jason's joined Jeremiah's gang," she blurted, knowing that she would regret squealing later but right now, she just didn't give a damn._

"Excuse me?"

Gabriella stood up from her spot beside Troy and stared at Mitchie. The fifteen-year-old brunette squirmed under the sixteen-year-old's stern look. Troy automatically took his place beside his sister, his eyes blazing with protectiveness, while Alex took her place beside hers. Nate joined Alex and Gabriella while Sharpay and Chad stood beside Troy and Mitchie. Shane, Kelsi and Ryan positioned themselves between the two groups, appalled that people were actually taking sides.

"Umm… guys? Seriously?" Shane pointed to the both the groups, his hand moving from left to right repeatedly to show them how absurd taking sides was while Kelsi and Ryan looked at them disapprovingly.

Sharpay was the first one to crack and she joined the group in the middle, making the groups even. Troy, Chad and Mitchie was on one side of the room while Gabriella, Alex and Nate were on the other. The other four stood between the two groups in case they needed to stop World War 3. It was the sight that Zeke, Taylor and Jason stumbled upon when they entered the room just three minutes later. Six teens glaring at each other while the other four stood helplessly in the middle.

"Okay? What is going on?" Taylor asked when she walked to stand beside Chad and Zeke beside Sharpay while Jason stood away from all of them.

"Taylor!" Sharpay shrieked and pulled her African-American friend closer to her. She stuck her tongue out to Chad who was glaring at her and turned to Taylor to explain her behaviour. "You stand beside your boyfriend, you take their side," she pointed to the three unhappy teenagers and then pointed to the Gabriella, Alex and Nate, "you stand beside them and you take their side. You stand with us and you take nobody's side."

"What about Jason?"

"Well, he's the reason they're taking sides anyway," Kelsi took Jason's hand and led him to stand beside her. Seeing the interaction between Kelsi and Jason, Ryan felt something unpleasant rise inside him. Noticing her brother's face, Sharpay smirked. Jealous, much?

"Excuse me? What do you mean I'm the reason?" Jason gently pulled his hand out of Kelsi's grasp to look at his friends and gulped when he saw that Mitchie was looking guilty. His heart sank. She told them. Narrowing his eyes at her, he stormed in front of her angrily, ignoring how she stepped back in fear and Troy's and Chad's warning glances.

"You told them?!" he spat. Mitchie whimpered and tried to hide behind her brother but the look in Jason's eyes made her too guilty to do it.

"I'm sorry! I was angry and I wasn't thinking. Jase, I real –"

"Only people who care about me and my feelings have the right to call me that," Jason snapped as he looked at her with hurt eyes. Shane made to step forward to help Mitchie but stopped when Gabriella shook her head for him to stop. His heart broke as tears swarmed into her eyes and he ignored Gabriella's warning looks to stand beside Mitchie. Neither Mitchie nor Jason took any notice of him.

"Jason, I –"

"Save it, Michelle. I thought I could trust you. Guess I was wrong."

Troy stepped forward, the angry glint in his eyes gone. His friend was hurting and so was his sister. The last thing either of them needed was for a fight to break out. Jason gave one last look of disappointment and betrayal before he left the room, Nate and Alex on his heel.

Mitchie immediately dropped to her knees and put her face into her hands, her body shaking from the sobs she was producing. Shane wrapped his arms around her before Troy could and held her while the others watched and gathered around her. Gabriella sighed and smiled sympathetically at the young teenager. Slowly, she squatted beside the crying brunette.

"C'mon, Mitchie. Let's get you cleaned up," she said gently and together, she and Shane brought Mitchie up. It was a useless attempt, however, as Mitchie just staggered.

Troy watched from the side, feeling helpless. His little sister was hurting and she was so emotionally drained that she couldn't even hold herself up. Just as he was about to step forward to carry her, Shane took her into his arms and carried her out of the room in bridal style. The last image Troy got of his sister was her long brown hair covering her beautiful face which was buried into Shane's chest once again. Tears threatened to fall from his blue eyes as he realized that his sister might no longer need him anymore. A small, yet perfectly fitted, hand slipped into his and he turned to look at Gabriella.

"Come on," she said gently as she led him out of the room, knowing the others were following them. "Your sister needs you too."

* * *

"Jason!"

"Jase! Wait up!"

Jason ignored his brother and Alex and stormed into his room before banging the door. He had never felt so guilty before. He should not have shouted at Mitchie, he knew that. The girl was innocent and all she wanted to do was help him. Instead of accepting it, he had screamed at her and had told her that she was no longer his friends. Just great.

The door opened and Alex poked her head in before telling Nate that Jason was not throwing anything around. Hearing her, Jason rolled his eyes.

"I can hear you," he told them as he grabbed his bag and began packing. The two fifteen-year-olds grinned sheepishly as they entered the room. Jason stopped packing and looked at them fidgeting uncomfortably before smiling softly at them. "I'm fine, you know."

Alex snorted and tried to turn it into a cough. Beside her, Nate held back a laugh while Jason put his hands on his hips, trying to look stern although amusement sparkled through his sad eyes.

"And what is wrong with that statement, Ms. Russo?"

"The 'fine' part," she said it in a 'matter-of-fact' voice. Nate smiled affectionately and Jason rolled his eyes again. Alex took a calming breath before she placed her hand in Jason's before making him sit down. Taking their respective seats beside him, Alex smiled. "So, you wanna tell us what's been going on? Or are we going to have to ask Mitchie?"

"She'll tell you anyway," the oldest Grey brother said bitterly as he made to stand up. Alex grabbed his wrist and pulled him back on to the bed beside her and Nate.

"We want to hear from you, dude," Nate gave him a stern look. Sighing as he laid down on his bed, Jason closed his eyes. "Was Mitchie telling the truth? Are you in Jeremiah's gang?"

"Yes, it's true."

* * *

"Mitchie? You ready to tell us what happened with Jason?"

Gabriella's kind and gentle tone brought Mitchie out of her daze and the younger girl smiled sadly before nodding her head. As much as she didn't want to relive what had happened earlier that day, she was going to if it meant helping Jason even if he insisted that he did not need her help.

_A few hours ago…_

_Mitchie stirred slightly and opened her eyes as the pain at the side of her head throbbed. She tried moving a little but found that she couldn't. She was in someone's arms. Someone who reeked of smoke and alcohol. Jason. She immediately closed her eyes, praying that nobody found her awake and let Jason hug her. _

"_Why me?" he cried as he clutched the her closer to his chest. Mitchie wanted to cry out in pain. Her head was already throbbing and the fact that Jason was squeezing all the oxygen out of her was not helping her one bit. She wrinkled her nose softly, knowing that no one would have seen her, when she smelled a greater stench of alcohol and smoke. _

"_Because you messed with the wrong person."_

_She bit back a gasp and almost opened her eyes fully when Jason finally let her go. She opened her eyes slowly a little bit and gulped when she witnesses the boy she considered her brother slit his palm open. She fought the tears that threatened to spill. Jason pressed his palm towards Jeremiah's and Mitchie would have leapt to her feet if not for the two goons who were beside Jason. Through the small sight she managed, two pocketknives were visible in the goons hands. _

_Jason dropped to the ground and clutched Mitchie to his chest again, the crimson liquid all over his hand staining his and her shirts. The last thing Mitchie heard before opening her eyes fully was the sinister and sadistic laughter of Jeremiah Masters and his gang and their loud footsteps getting softer and softer. _

"_Jason?"_

_Her soft voice seemed to have startled him. Gently, she took his hand. _

"_C'mon, let's get you to the school nurse. It could get infected," she suggested softly. Still too emotional to say or do anything, Jason just nodded and let her lead him to the nurse's office. _

_When the nurse was done with Jason (they had given the excuse of him touching a broken glass pane), Mitchie took his and her bag ad together, both she and Jason rode home. _

"_You going to tell me what just happened?" _

_Silence. Mitchie sighed as Jason left her in the car once they had reached the orphanage. When he was nowhere in sight, a sudden anger burst into her. She was a victim in this. She had a right to know and Jason was not telling her anything. Well, she was going to make him tell her everything. And it was with this rage did Mitchie storm into her brother's dormitory to demand answers. _

Now…

"That jerk! He told me and Troy that a dog bit his hand!"

Taylor rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's stupidity. She turned to Troy and Chad with her hands on her hips.

"And you believed him?" she raised her eyebrows.

"N-No?"

* * *

Alex's breath hitched and Nate's eyes widened. Jason remained in his position, eyes still closed. He would not be able to bear seeing his brother and Alex walk out of his life. His heart started beating faster as he felt the two of them get up and heard their footsteps before the door closed. His eyes stung as he opened them and sat up to look at the door. His eyes widened when he saw the two youngsters still there with small smirks on their faces.

"Seriously, dude. Did you really think we'd leave you?"

Jason smiled genuinely for the first time in a long while. Nate and Alex laughed at their little dramatic performance and sat down beside him again.

"Remember that time in fifth grade? When I was having troubles with this girl named Paige Morris?"

"The buffalo girl?"

Alex laughed as she nodded. "Yeah. Buffalo girl. And the only people I actually talked to were you guys?" Nate and Jason nodded. "Well, it was then did I realize that you guys would always be there for me. I mean, don't get me wrong. I did know that before but that time just proved it. You guys stuck by me no matter how mean everyone was to me. I didn't want to talk to any of you at first but you never gave up on me. What you guys did proved to me that I could always count on you guys not to judge or belittle me."

"You're the baby of our family, Alex. Of course we'll always be there for you and –"

"That's not the point, Jase! The point is that I needed a certain time to realize that. My point is that maybe you need one too."

Jason shook his head. The difference between him and Alex was that he was the oldest and she was the youngest.

"I am the oldest, Alex. That's a–"

"It doesn't matter! We're always here for you, Jason. Whether you want us to be or not. The weight of the world is not on your shoulders," Nate said firmly.

"Mom and Dad –"

"Would have agreed with us. You need our help, Jason. Alex, Gabriella, Shane and I… we're always here for you. And now, you've got Mitchie, Troy, Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, Ryan, Sharpay and Zeke. Although, you know, Chad and Troy hate chick flick moments."

Jason smiled at his brother's lame attempt at humor. They were right. The weight of the world was not on his shoulders. It was time he accepted that fact.

* * *

**A/N: Review! **

**P.S. Anybody heard Selena Gomez's new single Falling Down? It's really great! Check out the music video as well... She looks great, as always...**


	21. Chapter 20

_**A/N: This chapter has some disturbing content. It mentions rape and abuse. So, if you're the kind of person who hates this kind of things, just skip the italic parts. **_

_Previously…_

_Jason smiled at his brother's lame attempt at humor. They were right. The weight of the world was not on his shoulders. It was time he accepted that fact._

* * *

That night, the gang, minus Alex, Nate and Jason, camped in Mitchie's and Alex's room. Mitchie had no doubt that Alex and Nate would be joining them soon. She just hoped that Jason did too. After finally realizing that she had betrayed Jason's trust, her mind whirled as different emotions washed over her. She felt guilty over spilling Jason's secret, angry at herself for being so impatient, sad that Jason was in a gang and a little comforted that she had her friends, especially Shane, to comfort her.

The advantage of being in the 'Breaking Free' orphanage was that the rooms were luxurious. Derek and Charlotte Evans, the owners and parents of Sharpay and Ryan, had always made sure that their 'children' lived in a comfortable environment and that they were well-cared for. As Mitchie watched the people she considered family interact with one another, a smile found its' way onto her face.

Her smile widened when the door burst open and Jason, Alex and Nate stepped into the room.

"Hey! What did we miss?"

And in that instant, as Mitchie smiled apologetically at Jason and he smiled back, all the drama that had happened earlier that day lay forgotten.

* * *

"So, why did you join them?"

Jason took a deep breath before looking apologetically at his friends and family.

"They threatened to hurt you guys."

Silence engulfed the room and all attention was on Jason. The Wildcats, as they were all considered now, stared at him with wide eyes and hanging jaws. The oldest Grey brother closed his eyes and counted to ten before the others erupted into a stream of questions and howls of outrage. The only one who was not saying anything was Gabriella.

"What do you mean they threatened to hurt us?"

"Jeremiah's a bastard."

"Yeah, well, he's going to get it."

Gabriella rolled her eyes at the never-ending questions and remarks before whistling loudly to get her friends' attention. The Wildcats stopped immediately, having been used to her whistles over the last few months and knowing that Gabriella whistling was not a good sign. It meant that they were either in trouble or silence was needed for them to discuss what they were going to do. By the knowledge of the situation they were in, Jason knew it was the latter.

"Alright, how many of you have questions?" the brunette asked, immediately taking charge as she stood in front of them. Eleven hands shot up. "Okay, then. We'll start with the oldest. Taylor, your question would be?"

"What the bloody hell do you mean he threatened to hurt us? He's afraid of us," the African-American volunteer asked, almost afraid of knowing the answer. Jason sighed before turning to her.

"Do you guys remember an Adam Feb and his sister Claire?" he asked. Taylor and the other longer members of the Wildcat gang nodded although they saw no link between Adam Feb and Jeremiah, only Zeke noticing how Sharpay had froze. He put his hand on hers and squeezed it gently.

"Who's Adam Feb?"

"He's this guy who committed suicide last year with his sister, Claire. They jumped off the school rooftop. They found bruises and signs of sexual assault on Claire. Turns out that Adam had raped his own sister and the only way Claire could have escaped her brother was by jumping off the roof. Seeing the damage he had done, Adam had jumped after her."

"That's not true!" Sharpay snapped at Chad and the afro-haired orphan gave her a sympathetic look. Sharpay turned to the newer members and said, "He was a good guy. He was always over-protective of Claire. He would never have done that to her!"

"Sharpay, the police said that –"

"The police are wrong! Adam was a good guy. He was the kindest, most caring guy I'd ever met."

"I'm with Sharpay on that one," Troy sighed, putting an end to any argument that would have escalated between Chad and Sharpay. "He was a good guy and I've seen the way he treated the girls he loved at high school. He was always fiercely protective of his sister and he would never have hurt her. They were best friends. She was often bullied though and Adam was always her saviour."

"Until he messed with Jeremiah Masters."

"What?"

Jason looked thoughtful before grabbing his laptop. He looked around at each of his friends, as though unsure of whether or not he should explain things to them fully. Seeing his brother's hesitation, Nate glared at his brother. All thoughts of hiding anything from them vanished as Jason gulped and went to the application he wanted to show them.

It was a video.

_A disheveled teenager came upon the screen, his face and body bruised. His nose was bleeding and his jaw was obviously broken. He could barely stand and even with the rough support from the two boys holding him, he looked tired and worn out. Laughter rang around him and the two boys reluctantly holding him up abruptly let him go. Groaning from the pain shooting through his body, the teenager coughed up some blood before glaring hatefully at the video camera. _

Sharpay gasped as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She was vaguely aware of Zeke's comforting arm around her and of her brother's worried glances at her. The only thing she was really aware of was the black-haired, blue-eyed tortured teenage boy in the video.

"No," she cried softly and called for her first love. "Adam…"

_Jeremiah Masters came onto the screen, his usual smirk broad and wide. His right hand held a bottle of beer and he used the other to grab Adam by the hair. Adam winced as pain he never felt before coursed through his bruised and bleeding body. _

"_You ready to apologize now, Feb?" his words were slurred but his voice was filled with more malice than usual. _

_It was a surprise that Adam could still manage to snort. "Not until you apologize for harassing Sharpay and my sister."_

_Jeremiah pulled his victim's head back and cackled madly as Adam let out a startled cry of anguish. _

"_Beg me to stop," Jeremiah drawled. The answer he got was a spit of blood on his face. He let go of Adam and wiped the crimson liquid off his face before punching his helpless schoolmate. "Well, if that won't make you apologize, then maybe this will."_

_Jeremiah snapped his fingers and Adam used what little energy he had left to lift his head up. His blue eyes widened and a scream rose up his throat when he saw a junior blonde girl in pink shirt and jeans being held by the two boys who had held him earlier. _

"_You bastards! Let her go!" _

_The three bullies laughed and Jeremiah got up from his spot beside Adam. He walked over to the young blonde girl who was crying. He licked the tears streaming from her blue eyes with his tongue, ignoring Adam's screams to get away from her. _

"_Don't cry, Claire," he snarled quietly and raised his finger to trace the tear tracks on her face. "I hate tears. Especially on a beautiful girl like you." His slid his finger all over her face and Claire struggled against her captor's hold on her._

_Meanwhile, Adam had managed to get up. He walked unsteadily towards Jeremiah, ready to punch the guy who dared touch his sister, only to be on the floor again three seconds later with a dislocated shoulder and a broken jaw. _

"_You son of a bitch, Jeremiah! Let my brother and me go!" Claire screamed, her blue eyes, so similar like her brother's, streaming with tears. _

_Jeremiah grabbed her roughly by her shoulders before nodding to his friends. They left her side to hold Adam down instead. _

"_The more you struggle, the harder the punches will be on your brother, Claire." The young girl gulped and stared fearfully at Jeremiah. She stopped struggling against him and shared a frightened look with her brother as Jeremiah pinned her against the wall. Jeremiah smirked. "Now, that's a good girl."_

_He ran his hands through her long blonde hair before he started kissing her, ignoring Adam's threats and screams and his friends' laughter. His lips caught hers gently at first, waiting for a response from her. When he got none, he growled at her and snapped his fingers. His two members punched Adam at the same time and the tired and weak victim fell to the floor, barely conscious. _

"_You participate too, darling. I don't like doing the work alone," he whispered in her ear before trailing kisses from her lips to her neck. Realizing he was not going to get a respond out of her, he sighed. "Are you nervous, Claire? This is, after all, your first time."_

_Claire sniffled and glared at him through her tears. She took a glance at her brother and sobs she couldn't stop any longer wrecked her body. _

"_Please, Jeremiah," a weak voice spoke and all heads turned to Adam. He lifted his head from the ground with all the energy he had and his blue eyes were wet with tears for his sister. "Let her go. Hurt me as much as you want but let her go. She doesn't deserve this. You're right. I'm sorry for hurting you. Please… Just let go of her. I'm begging you."_

_Jeremiah rolled his eyes and motioned for one of his friends to grab Claire. He kicked Adam before kneeling down to his level. He leaned closer to Adam's face and whispered into his ear, "Too late for that."_

_Laughing at Adam's whimper, he went back to Claire and motioned for his friend to get away from her. He slipped his hands around her waist, knowing she wasn't going to resist for fear of her brother's life. He picked up from where he left off and trailed his kisses from her neck back to her face and then nibbled at her ear. He felt her shaking and sighed as he stopped again to whisper to her. _

"_I've been waiting for this for a long time, Claire. I know you're nervous. It's okay," he purred into her ear before he started trailing his fingers down her breasts. His hands stopped there and he made circles around them before cupping them and moaning in pleasure. _

"_You fuckin' bastard! Let her go!" _

"_Silence him!"_

_Claire cried out as her brother took a final hit and he lay unconscious on the ground. _

"_Adam!"_

_Jeremiah pinned her against the wall. He glared at her for the first time, his eyes blazing and a mad glint, madder than before, crossed his face. He started kissing her roughly everywhere before sliding his hands underneath her shirt. She struggled to get away from him and he pinned her to the ground instead of the wall, making it easier for him but harder for her. _

_She pleaded with him to let her go as she tried to get him to let go of her but to no avail. Her screams were muffled and the person behind the camera and Jeremiah's other two friends cackled at her sufferings and their friends' enjoyment. _

The gang looked on in horror as he undressed her quickly. Sharpay was sobbing into Zeke's chest uncontrollably and Troy had his arm protectively around Mitchie, his blue eyes filled with hate for Jeremiah and her black orbs filled with tears of sorrow and pain for Adam and Claire. On his other side, Troy held Gabriella's hand. She leaned her head against his shoulders and her brown eyes were moist from the tears streaming freely down her cheeks. Chad and Taylor were holding onto each other, holding one another as though their life depended on it. Ryan and Kelsi were crying freely and Nate and Alex were positioned the same way. Shane stood beside Jason, wanting to be with Mitchie, but knowing that his presence beside his brother was much more in need.

_When Jeremiah was finally done with Claire, she was naked and shaking on the ground. He was wearing a look of sheer pleasure and triumph. With the camera still on, he grabbed her roughly by her hair and motioned for his friend to pick up Adam. Together, they climbed to the block's rooftop._

_Adam's eyes fluttered open as Jeremiah kissed his sister roughly before pushing her off the roof._

Sharpay screamed.

_Adam screamed for his sister as he broke free and went after her, only to stop when he realized that she was already no longer moving on the ground below and she was covered in a pool of crimson red liquid. Angry tears sprang into his eyes and he turned to push Jeremiah backwards only for the bastard to push him backwards. Adam Feb fell right after, his body ten feet away from his sister, his body covered in his own blood._

_The camera focused on Jeremiah and his two friends'. They looked horrified at what they had done before they suddenly burst out in cheers and whistle and dashed away from the rooftop before they got caught._

And with that, the screen went blank.

Sharpay got up from her position with Zeke and stormed over to Jason. Her eyes were red from crying and she was glaring at him with hatred. She raised her hand and slapped him. Hard. The sound of her slap echoed throughout the room, the gang standing up to defend Jason and hold her back if necessary.

"That was for being a coward and keeping this video a secret all this while," she spat. Jason smiled sadly at her.

"You're right. I do deserve that. And I know I'm a coward," he said, his voice quavering slightly. "But if being a coward means keeping my family safe, then I'd be one a thousand times over."

* * *

  
**A/N: Please review! This is a very tensed chapter and I had a few troubles writing it... That's why it took so long... I'm not really comfortable with writing this but it's part of the plot so... Please review to tell me what you think. **


	22. Author's Note

**A/N: Hey guys! So, I know I've been AWOL for a long time and you all have every right to be mad at me but please don't be. Right now, I am currently sitting for my O levels and I really need to pass and do well. Anyway, I am currently thinking of restarting this whole story all over again because I want to bring out this story with proper planning and I really like this story of mine the most. So, please understand and still support me through this!**

**Love,  
MeantToBe16 **


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